Studying in Barcelona

Although the cost of living in Barcelona does tend to be more expensive than most Spanish cities (with the exception of Madrid), it’s still much cheaper than other popular study destinations such as New York, London and Paris. It’s definitely possible to live on the cheaper side, but it all depends on the kind of lifestyle you want to have when you get here. How much you pay for your accommodation will depend on how much you’re willing or able to spend, along with taking into factors such as the location and how many people you choose to share with. For more information, check out our ‘Cost of living’ blog.

As a student, one of your main priorities will probably be to have a great social life alongside your studies, so we would definitely recommend renting a room in shared accommodation as opposed to living by yourself. We would recommend finding short-term accommodation to avoid any potential problems such as not liking the area, or even worse, your flat mates. Your university may require you to study/learn from home so bear these things in mind when finding a place to live. Remember, the key is to do your research and not to rush into anything!

English is widely spoken in Barcelona but, considering Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world, it would be wise to get this language under your belt too. If you’re keen to learn Spanish or Catalan while you’re in Barcelona, you should first see whether your University/Business School offers language lessons alongside your course. If this isn’t an option, there are a large variety of professional institutions in the city to choose from, offering classes for beginners through to experts. Some of the top language schools in Barcelona are: Linguaschools, Speakeasy, Olé Languages Barcelona and the Universidad de Barcelona. We would also recommend checking out tandem events!

When it comes to everyday language learning, simple things such as listening to Spanish music, watching local programmes or binging Netflix series and reading books in Spanish are all great ways to practice.

Catalonia is an extremely proud region, boasting its own dialect and regional history. Catalonians even celebrate their own regional holidays and festivals, such as ‘La Mercè’ and ‘La Diada Nacional’. Our advice on how to truly immerse yourself in the Catalan culture would be to:

• Try the local cuisine
• Celebrate every festival
• Check out Barcelona’s hidden gems

Take advantage of Facebook groups to reach out to fellow expats, or to search for events near you in Barcelona.

ESN (The Erasmus Student Network), is another site that provides a service for Erasmus students in most major European cities. Definitely check out the Barcelona ESN Page as it’s a great way to meet new people, find people to share accommodation with and find out about cool events in the city.

Even though some restrictions may be starting to ease, it’s still wise to stay up to date on the rules of the area/city you’re living in. We would suggest checking the City Council website, following the news and also any official channels to avoid breaking the rules and receiving a heavy penalty.

The answer to this question is yes. Most masters programs offer internships as a part of the course, or the university will help students to get one if the student expresses an interest. This is an option for all students who wish to get experience related to their studies. Internships can be full-time if the study schedule allows it and can be both paid and unpaid.

Failing this, as a student you are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week or full-time as long as your contract is for a maximum of 3 months. The key thing is that this kind of work does not interfere with your studies.

A couple of ‘good to knows’ include:

• Tuition fees at public universities in Spain are typically set by each individual Autonomous Community, meaning they are more or less the same for every public university. On the other hand, private universities set their own fees and these are usually much, much higher than those of public universities.
• You can choose to do a Master’s degree in English due to the large number of international business schools in Barcelona. This means you won’t be required to learn Spanish to study a Master’s degree in Spain.

If you want to read more about studying a Master’s degree in Barcelona, check out the ‘Relocation Guide – Studying a Master’s in BCN’ page.