Arcadia in Granada
Environmental Studies
About Study Abroad in Granada through Arcadia
You can design a study experience through the Arcadia Center for Contemporary Studies in Spain that's uniquely yours! Choose to focus on one area of study, such as Environmental Studies or Islamic Studies ... take a combination of courses ... or take intensive Spanish language and culture courses through the Centro de Lenguas Modernas at the University of Granada. More advanced Spanish language students can even enroll in courses alongside Spanish students at the University of Granada. Please speak to your program manager for details.
- A new opportunity, beginning in fall 2010 -- an exciting place to study Environmental Studies!
- All students take the required core course, “Mediterranean Cultures and Civilizations – The Great Mosaic.”
- All Arcadia students enroll in an intensive one-month Spanish language course at the beginning of the semester.
- No previous Spanish language study necessary. Open to students at all levels of Spanish from beginner to superior.
- Program dates (tentative): August 30-December 21, 2010.
Program
Excursions and Activities
In addition to an extensive orientation and cultural activities program, overnight excursions and daytrips to sites of interest will be an important part of the overall program. All activities and excursions, both included and optional, are specifically and intentionally designed to complement the students’ coursework and enhance the learning that takes place in the classroom through significant, hands-on experiences.
Depending on the semester, excursion sites may include the Sierra Nevada National Park, the Doña Ana National Park and Reserve, the Costa Tropical, solar platforms and wind farms, and sites of historic and cultural importance such as Morocco. Students will also have the opportunity to earn a Co-Curricular Learning Certificate.
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One fifth of Andalucía is protected due to its ecological importance and diversity. In addition to natural and national parks, there are eight UNESCO-declared biospheres in this autonomous region including the Sierra Nevada National Park in Granada. Current politics, both local and national, are charged with controversial debates on issues such as coastal preservation, water management and drought prevention, building permits in forested areas and protection of endangered species. And Spain is among the world’s leaders in renewable energy technologies and production.
In addition to its vast solar plants, among the largest in the world (Spain’s newest and largest currently being built just outside of Granada), the most important solar-thermal research center in Europe is located in Almería, less than two hours away from Granada (see photo above). Spain is also the third largest producer of wind energy, breaking the world record one day in March 2009 when it produced 40% of the country’s energy needs on wind farms. US government officials have visited Spain’s solar plants and Spain is the largest international investor in US renewable energy plants and technologies.
Granada itself is a vibrant college town at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The prestigious University of Granada was founded in 1531 and has a student body of over 60,000. Students on Arcadia University programs in Granada have access to many of the resources and opportunities provided by a large research institution as well as the advantages and support provided by a small liberal arts program and expert student services staff.
Environmental Studies starts with a month-long intensive Spanish language class taught at the University of Granada’s Center for Modern Languages. Students continue their Spanish language study throughout the semester in a required grammar or conversation and composition class. (Superior level students are exempt of this requirement.) Arcadia University classes are taught in English at the University’s Center for Contemporary Studies in Spain and/or at the University of Granada’s School of Sciences. Superior level Spanish students can opt to take direct enroll classes in Spanish at the University of Granada’s School of Sciences. (Option available for spring semester students only.)
In addition to the Spanish language class and the core course on Mediterranean Civilizations, students in the ES Program will select two to three electives to complete their semester course load. Elective topics (taught in English) will include renewable energies, ecosystems of the region, climatology and meteorology, sustainable development and environmental policy in Spain and the EU. Spring semester students with a superior level of Spanish language (6 semesters of college-level Spanish or more) will also have the opportunity to choose from course offerings at the UGR taught in Spanish.
Arcadia University classes are taught by experienced University of Granada faculty members and researchers, all of whom hold PhDs and are experts in their specific fields of physics, biology, ecology, political science, and other related disciplines. The Environmental Studies Program at the UGR is an interdisciplinary, nondepartmental major that draws upon faculty members from many diverse departments.
Credits
You will earn the following semester hours of credit:
- Fall and spring semester: 15-18 credits
Admission Requirements
GPA Requirements: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
You must be in good academic standing and not on disciplinary probation. You need to submit a complete application including a transcript, letter of recommendation from a faculty member, and an advisor's form before your application will be considered.
