Global Cities

This course will explore the fact that today, most brands make their offerings available through multiple distribution channels and demonstrate how a brands channel strategy may also act as a key differentiator. Students will develop an understanding of how brands can distinguish themselves competitively while taking multichannel marketing, managing of channel conflict, disintermediation, and push vs. pull marketing efforts in the channel into consideration. 

This course will introduce students to the dynamic relationship between advertising and society. Students will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of how advertising works; discuss the many ways in which our behaviors and attitudes as human beings can be influenced and impacted (both positively and negatively) by advertising; explore various criticisms of advertising; and apply critical thinking skills in the analysis of selected examples of advertising.

Cities around the world are striving to be ‘global’; Barcelona, the capital of Catalunya, is one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in Spain. It is globally-renowned for its art and architecture, possessing no fewer than nine UNESCO-designated ‘world heritage’ sites, and has become a major destination for global tourism. In this interdisciplinary course, students will examine the emergence of this elegant, creative city as Spain’s gateway to the Mediterranean; analyze its history and evolution since its foundation by the Romans; explore the role of population dynamics, industrial change and globalization in shaping the city and the lives of its inhabitants; and investigate the ways in which the interplay of urbanism, politics, and society has addressed challenges of social, political, and technological change in the past and today.

This course will examine the history of architecture and urban design in Spain from the first century AD through contemporaneity. Students will develop an understanding of ancient styles, focusing on Barcelona in the 19th and 20th centuries; acquire the ability to distinguish key architectural features and symbols; compare modern and contemporary movements; apply basic historical tools to describe an architectural style; and participate in relevant field visits.

This course will introduce the origins of photography, and explore digital photography techniques. Students will develop an understanding of how to create, print, and present an image; use manual and automatic camera modes; acquire knowledge of camera lenses and editing software; take photographs of their own; and critique the work of their peers. Students are expected to bring a digital camera and laptop with some means of editing. Note: Basic Photoshop will be available in the computer lab. 

The Global Internship Course is designed to be completed alongside an internship placement, allowing students to earn academic credit. Students will attend weekly, discussion-led sessions that include educational support and mentoring in a classroom environment; develop personal and professional skills; contextualize their internship experience socially and culturally; and employ Globally Networked Learning technology to conduct a comparative global analysis with other CAPA students. At times, this analysis will be facilitated through CAPA Masterclasses led by professionals in a diverse range of fields.

The Global Internship Course is designed to be completed alongside an internship placement, allowing students to earn academic credit. Students will attend weekly, discussion-led sessions that include educational support and mentoring in a classroom environment; develop personal and professional skills; contextualize their internship experience socially and culturally; and employ Globally Networked Learning technology to conduct a comparative global analysis with other CAPA students. At times, this analysis will be facilitated through CAPA Masterclasses led by professionals in a diverse range of fields.

This course will introduce the fundamentals of global marketing. Students will investigate the impact of an environment on a firm’s marketing strategy; explore the challenges of developing and implementing global marketing strategies that must navigate social, cultural, economic, and political specificities in individual areas; and develop an understanding of consumer behavior management. Students will also customize a product for entry into the international market, analyzing case studies as concrete examples before commencing this project.

This course allows students experiencing the challenges of cross-cultural communication in an international setting to explore intercultural communication theory and research within both broad and interpersonal contexts. Students will come to appreciate the complexities of intercultural interactions, and will be able to define and explain concepts related to intercultural communication and the components of intercultural competence. Plus, the course will enhance students’ self-reflection, flexibility, and sensitivity in intercultural communication. Topics include similarities and differences in values, norms, interethnic/intergroup communication, and adaptation. Students will bring these theories to bear on their experiences in the field.

This course will introduce the concepts and fundamentals of international management in a diverse and culturally complex workplace. Students will develop an understanding of the qualities and benefits of effective leadership, team dynamics, motivation, and power; examine cultural dynamics as they apply to intercultural work environments; explore methods for implementing management strategies, structures, and systems; and prepare themselves for future management roles that involve multicultural challenges.

This course will introduce students to international finance. Students will develop an understanding of the reasons why, in a globally integrated world, it has become imperative to trade, invest, and conduct business operations internationally. Students will explore the opportunities and risks associated with international finance; examine the ways in which capital markets have kept pace with our increasingly integrated world; and apply the various theoretical aspects of the principles of finance in an international context.

This course will provide a structured approach to media systems, and explore the dynamics of news, politics, and freedom of the press. Students will examine how international media report on ongoing, international crises of global importance; investigate the dynamics governing news media; develop an understanding of why audiences from different cultural spheres perceive news in diametrically opposed ways; and gain an awareness of press repression tools used by some regimes and the courageous journalists who try to circumvent these obstacles. Given the rapidly evolving nature of subjects studied, this syllabus is subject to change.

This course will examine the relationship between states and nations, taking students on a deep dive into the state of nationalism in Spain, particularly in the Basque and Catalan regions. Students will explore the topic of nationalism as it manifests itself globally alongside other ideologies and attitudes, such as internationalism, racism, liberalism, and communism; and analyze specific case studies that demonstrate different contemporary types of nationalism as well as the types of institutions addressing the surrounding issues.

This course will investigate the work of early 20th century modern artists in relation to Mediterranean myth and culture, with particular emphasis given to the work of Picasso, Matisse, and Dalí. Students will explore the elements that impacted the work of these artists, such as climate, vegetation, quality of life, and lifestyle; examine particular treatments of themes such as nudity, landscapes, and life along the sea; and develop an understanding of the impact of regional influences on these artists and their work.

This course will investigate the creation of contemporary identities through “Spanish” films and cinematic form. Students will critically examine the notion of a “national cinema”; the role cinema plays in constructing our stories; cinema’s impact on shifting ideas of what constitutes the human condition; and where and how issues of gender, sexuality, class, and ethnicity surface in cinematic articulations of the relationship between national identity, global trends, and personal history.

This introductory course is designed for students who have never received formal Spanish instruction or who do not know any Spanish language. Students will develop Spanish communicative proficiency in four key areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; gain an awareness of Hispanic cultures; and have opportunities to practice Spanish language skills in real-world situations. The instructor will strive to use only Spanish as a means of communication, and students are expected to do the same.

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Spanish 101 or its equivalent. Students will develop Spanish communicative proficiency in four key areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; gain an awareness of Hispanic cultures; and have opportunities to practice Spanish language skills in real-world situations. The instructor will strive to use only Spanish as a means of communication, and students are expected to do the same.

This course is designed for students with some prior knowledge of Spanish, who can already use basic words and phrases, and understand simple requests. By the end of this course, Students will have built a solid foundation in five key skill areas: intercultural communication, reading, writing, listening, and speaking, in order to accomplish a variety of everyday needs in the host culture. The instructor will strive to use only Spanish as a means of communication, and students are expected to do the same.

After completing this course, the student will understand extended speech and readings (TV, movies,  newspapers, …). Will be able to communicate with a degree of fluency that will allow them to interact with natives with spontaneity. The information presented will be precise when talking about a field of  interest and quite clear when writing or speaking on a range of subjects.

This course will explore the new digital platforms that have profoundly changed how we live, work, and conduct business over the past decade. Students will work to demystify these technologies and develop a deeper understanding of social media as a business tool through a combination of readings, podcasts, class discussion, case analyses, and group projects.

This course will provide the knowledge, skills, and tools for understanding core elements of logistics and transportation systems. Students will examine the dynamics of key logistics and transportation decisions, develop an understanding of best practices, and gain an appreciation for the challenges that typical companies face in managing their logistics and transportation network. 

This course will explore the craft of creative writing in relation to the city and the particular challenges of writing about place. Students will examine different aspects of the city in relation to Barcelona narratives including travel, urban spaces, solitude, politics, ethnicity, and particular boroughs and characters (both fictional and real); and participate in both practical exercises and field work.