Located at the foot of Spain’s picturesque Sierra Nevada Mountains and near the quaint coastline of the Mediterranean, Granada is the perfect setting for students who want to learn about this country’s rich language and culture.

Offered for the first time last fall, the University of Southern Mississippi’s Granada Program immerses students in the language and culture of Spain for a semester in this picturesque Andalusia community, located in the country’s southern region.

“In Granada, students live and study in one of the most beautifully visual and culturally rich areas of all Europe,” said Dr. Rafael Sanchez, a former chairman of the Southern Miss Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures who leads the program.

The program includes two 25-day class sessions followed by a mini-session of 10 days of class in the capital, Madrid. Students receive instruction in Spanish during the first sessions in Granada, and in Madrid take courses in history or art in English while also visiting key historic sites and museums.

In addition to the required six hours of Spanish instruction, other courses include drama, gender and race, comparative religions; tourism and marketing; and English, among others, taught by American and European professors. Students can enroll for a full course load of between 15-18 hours in the program.

A tour of the city of Granada, an excursion to the historic and vibrant city of Sevilla, famed for its popular festivals and eye-catching architecture, and a visit to the beautiful Alhambra palaces and gardens make the students’ itinerary. The program also includes nine days for optional travel to other parts of Spain, Europe and even the North African nation of Morocco.

India Rushing, a junior Spanish licensure student from Pascagoula, said her semester in Granada improved her Spanish speaking abilities and enhanced her worldview through the friendships she made with people from other countries.

“I lived in Mexico when I was teenager, so I already knew some Spanish, but after being in Spain for three months in the program, I felt like I could speak it as well as English, “ she said. “I think it should be a requirement for anyone majoring or minoring in Spanish in order to become truly fluent.”

Meeting people from all over the world gives Rushing “a bigger perspective on life now, and allows me to see the bigger picture,” she said. “I still talk to friends that I made from Sweden, Holland, Turkey, Iceland, Australia and England and I hope to visit them in the future.”

Matt White, a senior from Madison who is double majoring in tourism and Spanish, said the program was an unforgettable learning experience in a part of the world not much unlike communities in the southern United States. “I love Spain because the pace of life is relaxed there,” he said. “The people, like the climate, are warm and gracious.”

Financial aid is available for students interested in the program, including grants, scholarships and loans. For more information, contact Dr. Sánchez by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or call 601.266.5540; on the Web, visit http://www.usm.edu/internationaledu/ip_1/granada.htm. For more information about all Southern Miss study abroad and exchange programs, contact International Education at 601.266.4434.

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About The University of Southern Mississippi
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910, is a comprehensive doctoral and research-extensive university fulfilling its mission of being a leading university in engaging and empowering individuals to transform lives and communities.  In a tradition of leadership for student development, Southern Miss is educating a 21st century work force providing intellectual capital, cultural enrichment and innovation to Mississippi and the world.  Southern Miss is located in Hattiesburg, Miss., with an additional campus and teaching and research sites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast; further information is found at www.usm.edu.