AIFS Partnership Programs: Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs

Courses

Santa Rosa Junior College

BIO 12 Basic Concepts of Ecology
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
The study of ecology and conservation is timely, as the many threats to Earth’s ecosystems have tremendous implications both locally and globally. This course will show how basic ecological principles are applicable all over the world, while comparing specific environmental issues and promising potential solutions in Spain and the U.S.

Our topics will include structure and function of ecosystems, human population growth, and biodiversity. We’ll explore the ecology of the Mediterranean climate and see representative plants from around the world at the Barcelona Botanical Garden. As we study extinction events throughout history, you’ll have an opportunity to visit Júlia, the life-sized mammoth statue in Ciutadella Park.

Barcelona prides itself on its sustainability initiatives, so we’ll discuss what they’re doing and compare efforts by the U.S. and Europe to address climate change. You’ll observe fossils as well as modern species at Barcelona's Museum of Natural Sciences, and we’ll tour the fantastic displays on the evolution of large mammals at CosmoCaixa Science Museum.

BIO 13 Human Biology
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
The father of modern neuroscience, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, was the first Spaniard to win a Nobel prize in science. Did you know that his work on neuron structure and his artistic ability changed our understanding of how humans learn? You will, after taking Human Biology in Barcelona!

This class explores all aspects of human biology including cellular biology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, reproduction, evolution, and human impacts on the environment. We'll discuss the Mediterranean diet and compare food-related practices in Spain and the U.S. to inform our discussion of atherosclerosis and diabetes. We’ll visit CosmoCaixa Science Museum to see the human evolution exhibit, and we’ll tour the beautiful Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau hospital museum when we study infectious disease. To cap off our study of structure and function, we’ll observe organs in 3D at the Human Bodies Exhibition.

BIO 14 Current Issues in Biology
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
Confused by seemingly endless and contradictory posts about nutrition research? Wondering whether gene editing is good or bad? Interested in learning more about reproductive health, the rise of antibiotic resistance, or the biodiversity crisis? Join me for Bio 14 in Barcelona!

This course will introduce basic principles of biology through current issues, as they apply to both Spain and the U.S. We’ll study topics from the fields of ecology, evolution, anatomy, physiology, genetics, molecular and cell biology. I hope you’ll discover a love for biology along the way.

Instead of a textbook, we’ll use current media and the outstanding resources surrounding us in Barcelona. We’ll sample Catalan cuisine as we study the structure and function of the digestive system, along with cultural perspectives around nutrition. During our unit on pandemics, vaccination, and the immune system we’ll learn how both the Black Death (bubonic plague) and COVID-19 had devastating impacts on Barcelona, highlighted by a tour of the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau hospital museum. And you won’t want to miss the fascinating exhibit on climate change at the Museum of Natural Sciences!

Other topics include the science behind and potential impacts of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), past and current loss of habitat and species, as well as contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Field trips may also include visits to CosmoCaixa Science Museum and Fab Lab Barcelona.

 

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Los Rios Community College District

MUFHL 308 Introduction to Music: Rock & Roll
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This course is a study of popular music traditions including Rock, Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop. We study the music and the societal events that impacted its creation. In Barcelona, we will have the opportunity to study these traditions in Europe, Spain and Catalonia as well as the traditions in the U.S. Who was the previously unknown gospel singer and guitarist who (for all practical purposes) invented Rock & Roll and why did she go unrecognized for so long? Why did the Beatles break-up? Who was the greatest Motown artist of all time? How did Tupac appear at Coachella decades after he "died"? How did themes of Spanish music make it into music by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and others? These are all questions we can explore, debate and collectively answer in this course!

MUFHL 311 Survey of Music History and Literature (1750 to the present)
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This course is a study of classical and other art music from the mid-18th century through modern day composers. It has the added advantage of fulfilling both credits for GE transfer as well as lower-division requirements for music majors at most CSU, UC and private 4-year universities. Beginning with Mozart and Beethoven and continuing through compositions from the past decade, this course challenges students to increasingly see the evolution of music through many movements and counter-movements, which in the largest sense align with major periods of art and music history. Along the way, we'll explore ideas ranging from Romantic-era notions of the artist as tormented, suffering genius to concepts in contemporary music of art being a reflection of the artists' identity. We'll also see how the emergence of nations, political movements, World Wars and social movements all impacted music along the way.

MUFHL 330 World Music
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This course is a musical journey around the globe as we explore musical traditions from lots of continents, countries and cultures. What is West-African "High-Life? How did the "Habanera" lead to the Tango? What do a meditation tool of Zen Monks and a disguised weapon of Samurai have in common in the musical sense? How did a choir from South Africa help end apartheid? In our journey to 6 continents and innumerable island cultures, we will see the very important and unique role that Spain played in the evolution of World Music traditions. Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain are in fact the perfect setting in which to study the content of this course, and we will learn how!

 

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San Mateo County Community College District

HIST 100 History of Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East through early Modern era
3 units, CSU/UC transferable

HIST 106 World History II: From 1500 to present
3 units, CSU/UC transferable

HIST 201 United States History I: Indigenous pre-Columbian origins through 1877
3 units, CSU/UC transferable
During our semester abroad, we will visit historical sites, museums and local cultural hot spots as we discover the richness of Spanish culture and history.  We will see first-hand how 2,000 years of influence by the Moors, Romans, French and Portuguese shaped the country and its role in the larger Atlantic World.

In Barcelona, we have the unique opportunity to live and learn in one of the most dynamic and interesting cities in the Mediterranean. Situated at a crossroad of cultural diversity, Barcelona is a perfect place to study history. I will offer courses that compliment this diversity including HIST 106: Modern World History Since 1500 AD and HIST 100: Western Civilizations, a course that covers European history through the early modern era. These courses will not only offer you a deeper appreciation for the history and culture of your host city, but also inspire you to explore broader connections between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. And, for students who have not yet taken their U.S. history GE course, I will offer HIST 201: U.S. History to 1877 AD. This is an incredibly unique opportunity to study U.S. history from a European perspective. These courses all lend themselves to exploratory learning, allowing us to move beyond the confines of classroom and into the fascinating city streets of sunny Barcelona. 

 

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Contra Costa Community College District

HUMAN 105 Introduction to Humanities: Arts and Ideas
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This is a non-chronological course that introduces students to the integration of creative arts and the world of ideas. Students will learn to analyze, interpret and relate masterworks selected from literature, music, painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and film, to philosophical, religious, political and scientific thought. The class will examine arts and ideas from a variety of cultures drawn from various historical periods, but special attention will be given to the arts and culture of Spain. At the same time, students will be encouraged to relate Spanish arts and ideas to works and movements from other cultures. Class themes include art as expression of tradition and continuity, art as an agent of social change and resistance, censorship and the arts, the role of portraiture, and the relationship between war and the arts.

HUMAN 112 The Modern World
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This is an introductory course that integrates the visual arts, music, literature, drama, architecture, philosophy, and history of the Modern world and with an emphasis on Spanish works. Though we will follow a chronological order from the Baroque to the present, we will bring certain recurring themes and questions to bear on our subjects such as: the changing style or “look” of visual arts, the role of the artist, the function of art, attitudes toward tradition and innovation, perceptions of technology and nature, civilization versus the “primitive,” tradition versus avant-gardism, and the relation between art and society.

HUMAN 118 Film, Fiction, and Criticism
3 units, CSU/UC transferable.
This class will examine literary works, films that have been made from those works, and the branch of philosophy called aesthetic criticism. More specifically, the class will focus on Spanish films and fiction (or works created by Spanish authors / filmmakers) drawn from a range of genres. The interdisciplinary and critical analysis of film and fiction will enhance our understanding of these forms, which are often considered in isolation. Students will gain an understanding of Spanish film history, will learn how to analyze both the form and content of literary and cinematic works, and will consider ways in which both express aspects of Spanish culture and both regional and national identity. All works of literature and film will be read in English translation or have English subtitles.