One Program. Three Pathways.
A Three Month Program of Travel, Adventure, Internship, & Spanish Language.
Fall 2026: Sep 5th – Nov 28th
Spring 2027: Mar 6th – May 29th
One Program. Three Pathways.
This all-in-one semester will begin with one month of traveling Spain by train, followed by two months in Barcelona where you choose your own pathway. Throughout the semester you develop soft skills (communication, confidence, problem-solving), hard skills (Spanish, digital tools, cooking), and leadership skills focused on making a positive contribution to the communities you join.
You can choose between three flexible pathways:
Quick Facts
- Total Cost: €16k-€18.4k
- Fall Dates: Sep 5th - Nov 28th
- Application Deadline: Jun 26th
- College Credits: Up to 12
- Pay via 529 funds? Yes
Three Pathways. One Unforgettable Gap Year.
Build Your Career
Internship Pathway
Dive into a real Barcelona work experience built around your interests, with placement in one of several industries after you choose your top two. It is a chance to learn by doing, build resume, and grow real skills in a supportive setting.
Lead The Future
entrepreneurship Pathway
Experience a dynamic mix of part-time internship, entrepreneurship labs, and mentorship, ending with a Shark Tank–style pitch to real investors. It is a chance to problem-solve, lead, and explore innovation, with a 1K euro investment prize for the top pitch.
Tailor Your Journey
personalized Pathway
Build your own flexible pathway through volunteering, classes, and optional internships, designed for growth without a full-time commitment. Serve, learn, and immerse yourself in Spanish culture through meaningful, hands-on experiences.
Designing Your Own Path
Choose the pathway that fits your goals. Whether it’s an internship, entrepreneurship, or a customized mix of volunteering, classes, and work experience, each option helps you build skills, gain confidence, and explore Spain by train. You return with real-world experience, clarity, and a stronger résumé for your future.
Click to explore our locations!
Month One
Travel from San Sebastian to Madrid to Salamanca, to Seville in this jam-packed month of exploration all while learning Spanish and enjoying the local life through vetted host family accommodation.
Important: Activities are flexible and change depending on the city, weather conditions, and group interests to ensure the best possible experience each day.
Months Two & Three
Settle into the vibrant city of Barcelona and choose one of three pathways, entrepreneurship, internship, or personalized, while continuing activities and enjoying a more independent, self-directed schedule.
Important: Activities are flexible and change depending on the city, weather conditions, and group interests to ensure the best possible experience each day.
Your Life Abroad Starts Here
Immerse yourself in Spanish culture, then step into independence with hands-on experience in Barcelona.
Travel across Spain from San Sebastián to Madrid, Salamanca, and Seville while building your Spanish through daily classes and full cultural immersion. Living with carefully selected host families, you experience local life firsthand, including shared meals and day-to-day routines.
Morning Spanish classes tailored to your level
Cultural afternoons with city tours, nature, and local experiences
Community connection through events and local students
Sustainability activities such as tree planting
Weekend travel between cities and curated day trips
This first month focuses on building confidence, cultural awareness, and meaningful connections as you adapt to life in Spain.
Settle into Barcelona and transition into a more independent lifestyle, with the structure and flexibility to shape your own experience. You will live in modern student accommodation with meals included, creating a comfortable base in the city.
Choose your pathway: internship, entrepreneurship, or a personalized mix
Continue Spanish classes alongside your weekly schedule
Gain hands-on experience and develop real-world skills
Join group sessions focused on personal and professional growth
Explore the city through cultural activities and open weekends
These months are about independence and direction, giving you the space to grow, gain experience, and make Barcelona your home.
Internships
Our program is different from other internship programs in that you will always be part of a cohort, you will never be the only student starting your internship at a certain time of year: you all go together and that way you always have friends around.
You can choose an internship placement from a wide range of industries while remaining part of a cohort that includes mentoring, group sessions, and organized social activities. Alongside your placement, you receive practical support with soft-skill development, LinkedIn profile optimization, résumé preparation, and professional networking to help you maximize the value of your work experience in Spain.
Just a Few of the Many Options Available: Advertising, Arts, Biotechnology, Business Development, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Event Planning, Fashion, Finance, Graphic Design, Green Technology, Healthcare, Hospitality & Tourism, Human Resources, Information Technology, Journalism, Life Coaching, Marketing, Non-profit, Pharmaceutical, Publishing, Public Relations, Real Estate, Sailing, Sports Management, Sustainability, Theater, and Video Production.
As a Gap Year Association (GYA) accredited provider, Spanish Gap Year offers participants the opportunity to earn college credit through GYA’s School of Record partnership with the University of Montana (UM). This allows students to receive academic recognition for their internship experience without completing online classes or academic coursework during the program. Spanish Gap Year manages the entire registration process.
- Participants may earn up to 12 university credits via the Internship Pathway.
Internships are either part-time (Monday through Friday, typically 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) or full-time (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.), depending on your placement and pathway. Some Spanish companies follow split schedules, with a longer midday break and later afternoon hours, reflecting local workplace norms. Your exact schedule will depend on your host company and industry.
Spanish lunchtime usually begins at 2:00 p.m., so even part-time interns can join their colleagues for lunch, connect socially, and continue building workplace relationships while completing meaningful tasks.
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The entrepreneurship teams bring creativity and determination to pitch day, capturing the place, the nerves, and the camaraderie that define the experience. Our entrepreneurship cohorts of future leaders develop three unique business ideas and compete with one another, shark-tank style, in front of a panel of entrepreneurs and investors. Throughout the semester, they travel across Spain by train to refine their projects, and by the end, one team wins an investment.
You can choose to combine a part-time internship with a personalized experience, focus on full-time volunteering, or do part-time volunteering alongside a class or workshop tailored to your interests. Volunteering now also qualifies for college credit. These examples show what past gappers have done, but the opportunities are endless.
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Course Options
- Self & Culture in Experiential Cohorts (3 credits)
- Intro to Leadership Development (3 credits)
- Intro to Ethical Volunteering (3 credits)
- International Internship (up to 6 credits)
How College Credit Works
At Spanish Gap Year, students can take college credit coursework through our School of Record, the University of Montana. This may make them eligible for funding options like AmeriCorps Education Awards and 529 plans, which often require credit from an accredited institution. Credits can also be applied toward tuition and include structured reflection, helping students earn a university transcript while gaining academic recognition during their gap year in Spain.
Month One
TRAVEL AND FOUNDATIONS
Month Two
PATHWAY AND PRACTICE
Month Three
GROWTH AND LEADERSHIP
Explore Spain by train while building confidence, cultural awareness, and Spanish skills through immersive travel, homestays, and shared adventures.
- Internship Pathway
- Entrepreneurship Pathway
- Personalized Pathway
In months two and three you will settle into life in Barcelona as you dive into your chosen pathway while finishing the semester with confidence, independence, and impact.
Entrepreneurship Program Stages
We have teamed up with highly experienced business professors and successful entrepreneurs to deliver a comprehensive business incubator experience. Our aim is to help you create a sustainable business model that is built around S.M.A.R.T goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. The program is divided in five phases:
Everyday Adventures in Spain
Life as a gapper blends structure, freedom and shared adventure, with around four activities a week in month one as you travel across Spain with your cohort. During months two and three in Barcelona, you join two to three weekly activities that fit around your internship, classes and weekend trips, and below you can see some examples of the kinds of activities you will participate in.
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Accommodation
During your time traveling across Spain by train you will live with Spanish host families with all meals included, being immersed in Spanish life, language and culture. For months two and three, you will be staying in a modern studio dormitory with breakfast and dinner included in Barcelona (or self catering options), experiencing independent living with a small group of your fellow gappers.
In Barcelona, you can decide what to do for lunch: buy it at the supermarket and prepare it at home (you can take it to work with you, many people bring lunch boxes to the workplace) or you can eat out.
Life On The Move
During month one, weekdays are for learning Spanish, exploring each city, and diving into cultural activities like cooking classes, outdoor adventures, and more – all with your group by your side. Weekends are when the adventure levels up, with day trips and train journeys to new destinations that keep you constantly discovering new corners of Spain.
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Spanish Language Learning
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The Internship Experience
Finding Your Rhythm
In months two and three, you will settile into life in Barcelona with your chosen pathway. Monday to Friday, you follow a consistent routine: internship or volunteering hours and/or classes during the day, with Spanish lessons, entrepreneurship labs, or creative courses built into specific afternoons depending on your pathway. Evenings and weekends bring group activities, cultural visits, and free time to explore with friends, giving you space to deepen your independence while still having a supportive structure around you.
Eligibility
- Candidates must be over 18
- Participants must be in good health
- High school degree with at least a 2.8 GPA
- Participants with interest in their chosen pathway
- Participants must be passionate about gaining work experience
- Participants must agree to our program terms and abide by the program handbook
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What's included?
Our total program fee is €18,400. This includes:
- Pre-travel preparation: online individual interviews and group meetings
- Onboarding resources: Spanish culture course and language learning subscription
- Access to our online learning & support program and course materials
- Internship or volunteer placement and mentoring in Spain
- Full-board homestay accommodations in month one (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
- Half-board or self catering in a Barcelona studio accommodation for months two & three (breakfast & dinner)
- All transport between locations*
- All classes, workshops and activities
- * Does not include travel insurance and airfare
Your Application Timeline
Once you’ve had an online meeting with our team, here’s what the next steps look like as you move forward with your application:
- Submit your online application.
Complete our application form. - Application review.
We review your application within three working days. - Program offer.
If your application meets our standards, we offer you a place in your selected program. - Secure your spot.
We contact you with booking details and request a 20% program deposit to formally confirm your place. - One-on-one interview.
We schedule a personalized interview to review your health form, assess your Spanish level, and discuss your pathway and homestay preferences. - Pre-departure preparation.
You’ll receive flight recommendations, your onboarding meeting schedule, and login details for your online culture course and Spanish language resources.
Placement & Program Timeline
We recommend applying at least two months before your intended start date to allow for a smooth placement process. Applications are accepted year-round, and those submitted less than two months before the start date are still welcome. These applications will follow a condensed timeline, and will be accepted if spots are still available.
- 2 months before your start date
Submit your CV, cover letter, passport copy, and professional photo. - 1–2 weeks after submission
First-round interviews with our placement partners. - 4–6 weeks later
Interviews with host companies begin. - 4 weeks before program start
You are placed with your host company. - 60 days before the program begins
Submit the paper health form signed by your doctor and pay the remaining program balance. - Before departure
Attend onboarding meetings and receive your program handbook, packing list, and internship proposal. - Arrival in Spain
Travel to Spain and we’ll be there to welcome you at the Madrid airport.
Pay for Your Spanish Gap Year Program with a 529 Plan
Did you know you can use your 529 College Savings Plan to fund your Spanish Gap Year program and earn up to 12 college credits along the way? Our accredited programs allow you to combine an unforgettable gap year experience with academic progress. Please note that credit transfer policies vary, so we recommend confirming eligibility with both your college and 529 plan provider. Click here to learn more about using your 529 Plan for our programs, including available courses and next steps.
Ready to find out more? Book a chat with us today!
Spanish Gap Year
Program Features
Ready to find out more? Book a chat with us today!
Ready to apply?
✦ Your Journey Awaits ✦
Design Your Spanish Gap Year
Build your ideal program and discover how your gap year in Barcelona could look step by step.
1
Experience Type
2
Your Interests
3
Your Schedule
What type of experience are you looking for?
Select up to two options to build your program. Mix and match to create the experience that excites you most.
✓
Internship
Gain real-world professional experience in Barcelona across a wide range of industries and fields.
✓
Volunteering
Make a genuine impact through hands-on community projects and meaningful local initiatives.
✓
Classes & Workshops
Learn something new from Spanish language and photography to pottery, cooking, and more.
✓
Sports
Train, compete, or coach in a sport you love from football and tennis to sailing, padel, and more.
✓
Entrepreneurship
Join a project with international teams to create and pitch a sustainable business model to real investors, competing for an investment prize.
What are you most interested in?
Pick one area per category your schedule will be built around it. If you don't see your interest, tell us and we'll make it happen.
Your Typical Week in Barcelona
Here's how your program would look across a standard week. Fixed community sessions are always included.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat & Sun |
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Internship
Volunteering
Classes
Fixed Program Activity
Free Weekend