ESADE, Escola Superior d’Administració i Direcció d’Empreses - Barcelona, Spain

Founded in 1958, ESADE is a private university that has developed a cooperative culture focused on teamwork, closely following the trends in the current corporate climate. The business school strives to train graduates to have an open, entrepreneurial spirit while demonstrating team leadership with the ability to seize opportunity. The program addresses specific aspects of business with an international focus. It also emphasizes the global integration and evaluation of these aspects by studying their effects on all areas of the organization.

Location
ESADE is located in a residential neighborhood of Barcelona called Avinguda de Pedralbes. It is 15 minutes away by car from El Prat-Barcelona International Airport and easily accessible to the downtown core by bus or subway. ESADE is ideally situated.

With the hosting of the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona was transformed into a modern urban centre. Famed for its Gothic and Modernist architecture, the mixture of tradition with innovation creates a dynamic setting.

Approximate Term Dates
Fall Term: Early October - mid December
Winter Term: Early January - mid March

Academic Structure
Some classes are case-study based, others are quantitative models, etc. The overall philosophy is cooperative and team-work oriented. Class participation is expected. Text books are not required and ‘course readers’ are provided for most courses. Exams are mainly written. Not all courses have exams. Some require a final group or individual paper.

Current course listings are available to students nominated by Schulich through the ESADE intranet and not through the ESADE Web site.

Credit Equivalency
ESADE’s requirements: Minimum 12 credits, maximum 14 credits.
All ESADE MBA level classes = 2 ESADE credits = 30 in-class teaching hours

10 ESADE credits (5 MBA classes) + *Doing Business in Spain or
12 ESADE credits (6 MBA classes) = 12 SSB credits
14 ESADE credits (7 MBA classes) = 15 SSB credits (Excluding Doing Business in Spain)
*Doing Business in Spain is a language course, therefore, Schulich students will not receive SSB credit for this course.

Language
Courses are offered in English and Spanish. Efforts are being made to expand the number of courses taught in English and currently there are over 20 such courses available. It is expected that exchange students at ESADE have some knowledge of Spanish. However, there are Spanish lessons offered by ESADE which are mandatory and free for exchange students. They have five unique levels of difficulty appropriate to each student’s proficiency as determined by an initial test.

Students who choose to register in the Doing Business in Spanish course will partake in a highly participative language course focused on business language and presentation skills taught entirely in Spanish.

Computer Facilities
ESADE is fully equipped with five computer labs, which have state of the art PC's and network Internet access. All of the labs are available for student use and one can get by without a laptop although the wireless internet system makes having one that much more convenient.

Type/Availability of Accommodation
There are several rental agencies that will assist students in finding accommodation
Residència Universitària Sarrià has a special arrangement with ESADE by giving its students priority. For rates and other information visit their Web site at: www.residenciasarria.com. Another source for affordable accommodation in Barcelona is www.iagora.com/.

Health Insurance
Private insurance is recommended for all exchange students as ESADE does not have a mandatory policy. This should be taken care of before participating in the exchange term.

Visa Information
Exchange students are expected to enter Spain with a Student Visa.
For visa information contact the Spanish Consulate at:
200 Front Street West, Suite 2401
Toronto, ON M5V 3K2
Tel: 416-967-1661, Fax: 416-925-4949
Web site: www.docuweb.ca/SpainInCanada

Further Research
For more information about this partner school, see the exchange literature available in the Schulich Exchange Reference Library located in room W263 SSB or visit ESADE’s Web site at: www.esade.es/home.php

Spanish Tourist Office
2 Bloor Street West, 34th Floor, Suite 3402
Toronto, ON
Ph: 416-961-3131
E-mail: toronto@tourspain.es
Web site: www.tourspain.toronto.on.ca