Bilbao / Getxo Courses – 2025 Summer Session I
Studying abroad can be a more meaningful and invigorating learning experience than at home—both inside and outside of the classroom. You may be more curious and alert than you usually are so use this heightened energy to enhance your studies as well as your cultural and geographical explorations. You may also encounter different teaching styles and course processes; be prepared to adapt and to learn.
Courses
You may take three to seven credits in Session I and three to six credits in Session II. At least one 3-credit course is required each session you are enrolled. Course availability is contingent upon student enrollment and is subject to change.
Click the course title to view course details, description, and availability.
Spanish Language Studies
Summer language courses are intensive, with three to four credits of Spanish taught each session. Class sizes are small, with an average of five students each.
Session I and Session II
- Summer Session ISpanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.
- Summer Session ISpanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.
Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.
Prerequisite: two semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.
Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
The focus of this course is to improve learners´ written abilities through the analysis and the production of different types of texts. In addition, several grammatical topics will be reviewed in order to enhance and refine the learners´ grammatical competence.
Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
The focus of this course is to improve learners´ written abilities through the analysis and the production of different types of texts. In addition, several grammatical topics will be reviewed in order to enhance and refine the learners´ grammatical competence.
Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed for students who may manage in daily tasks and interactions, but still need to improve their control over different oral and written registers. In addition, these courses will offer them the opportunity to enhance their vocabulary in specific and technical areas, and to improve grammatical accuracy in their oral and written expression.
Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
- Summer Session ISpanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in SpanishSummer Session IISpanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish
This course is designed for students who may manage in daily tasks and interactions, but still need to improve their control over different oral and written registers. In addition, these courses will offer them the opportunity to enhance their vocabulary in specific and technical areas, and to improve grammatical accuracy in their oral and written expression.
Prerequisite: seven semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent
International Business and Cultural Studies
The following courses are designed to familiarize you with the region and provide a multi-disciplinary perspective to your studies and an international aspect to your degree program. Courses are taught in English unless otherwise noted in Spanish.
Session I
- Summer Session IFinance General Business 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
Besides corporate decision-making from the CFO’s perspective regarding their firm’s financing arrangements—the debt/equity mix, e.g., bonds, loans or stock—, we will evaluate what the retail landscape has to offer the individual investor thinking of retirement and personal portfolio decisions/weights. Business/Financial management topics include the importance of cash flow—especially DCF, the Time Value of Money, Net Present Value and the volatility of returns given past—and recent—market history. Currency (Exchange Rate Risk)—the FX market—will also be considered. Discussion of business ethics will be timely and frequent and well.
- Summer Session ISpeech Communications 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
The purpose of this course is to develop the skills necessary to build and maintain positive communication and business relationships across cultures. Students will explore the definition, nature and manifestation of culture while examining their own values, traditions, and beliefs. Through active in-class and out-of-class activities, students will learn about the similarities and differences in communication behaviors and explore language usage, nonverbal actions, and perceptions to see how they influence face-to-face communication between individuals of different cultures in the United States, Europe (in particular Spain) and the rest of the world.
Prerequisite: introductory coursework in college-level communication
- Summer Session IManagement 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course examines the challenges facing managers that are competing in a global economy. We will devote our attention to strategic management in a globally competitive environment and the role of culture in motivation, leadership, communication, negotiation, decision-making, HRM practices, and the management of a multicultural workforce abroad or at home. We will cover the process of management based on both the macro (organizational) level of environment and strategy and the micro (interpersonal) level of culture and human resources. Some of the critical topics to be explored include:
• The international environment: politics, economy, culture, technology, and law.
• Managing international strategic planning and implementation.
• Managing people and processes across borders and cultures.
• Ethical dilemmas in international management.
Prerequisites: introductory coursework in business or management
- Summer Session IInternational Business Marketing 400-level 3 credits Taught in EnglishSummer Session IIInternational Business Marketing 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
The course is designed to enable students to develop marketing strategies and plans in and across a range of different international market environments. While extending students' marketing and strategic skills obtained in earlier courses into a global context, students also develop knowledge and skills in international marketing processes.
Prerequisite: Principles of Marketing and Macro/Microeconomics
- Summer Session I100-level 1 credit Taught in English and Spanish
This course is co-produced by USAC and “Quiksilver Surf Eskola”. The number of meeting sessions will be determined on site considering tides and weather conditions. The class meets usually 10 to 12 times for two and a half hours.
FALL:
In order to take full advantage of the mild weather conditions and water temperature before onset of the winter, all surfing sessions will take place during the first months of the Fall semester, i.e. from September through October. This means that class will sometimes meet two times a week. Also, the programmed order of sessions is subject to changes for reasons beyond our control, such as inclement weather, very big waves, strong rip currents, etc.
SPRING:
All surfing sessions will take place during the last months of the spring semester, i.e. towards the end of March until mid-May. This means that class will sometimes meet two times a week. Also, the programmed order of sessions is subject to changes for reasons beyond our control, such as inclement weather, very big waves, strong rip currents, etc.
This course has an additional fee
Session II
- Summer Session IIFinance 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
In this course, students will develop the analytical tools necessary for analyzing corporate investment (capital budgeting) and financing decisions. You will learn how to evaluate projects, account for uncertainty in forecast cash flows, compute the cost of capital, analyze the value of the firm, determine how the firm should raise capital, understand theories of the optimal mix of debt and equity and the firm's payout (dividend) policy, and be introduced to alternate views of executive decision-making.
- Summer Session IIFinance International Business 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course is comprised of a series of topical modules focusing on the theory of international capital movements, including Foundations of International Financial Management: globalization, multinational firms, international monetary systems, balance of payments, and corporate governance; The Foreign Exchange Market, Exchange Rate Determination, and Currency Derivatives: foreign exchange markets, parity relationships, forecasting rates, futures, and options; Foreign Exchange Exposure and Management: transaction, economic, and translation exposure management; World Financial Markets and Institutions: international banking, bond and equity markets, swaps, and international portfolio investment; and Financial Management of the Multinational Firm: foreign direct investment, international capital structure, capital budgeting, cash management, trade finance, and international tax environment.
Prerequisite: Principles of Macroeconomics.
- Summer Session IInternational Business Marketing 400-level 3 credits Taught in EnglishSummer Session IIInternational Business Marketing 400-level 3 credits Taught in English
The course is designed to enable students to develop marketing strategies and plans in and across a range of different international market environments. While extending students' marketing and strategic skills obtained in earlier courses into a global context, students also develop knowledge and skills in international marketing processes.
Prerequisite: Principles of Marketing and Macro/Microeconomics
- Summer Session IIGeneral Business Management Supply Chain Management 300-level 3 credits Taught in English
This course develops students' abilities to effectively analyze the decision-making concepts of operations planning, implementation, and control, aids in understanding these concepts. It provides a forum for written communication concerning operations management topics.
The topics to be covered in this course include forecasting, customer service, and inventory management, just-in-time production, supply chain management, and quality assessment and improvement in both services and manufacturing.
- Summer Session IIAnthropology Spanish 300-level 1 credit Taught in Spanish
This course will develop student understanding of topics related to contemporary Spanish culture and civilization. Students will build a strong theoretical and historical foundation to effectively analyze life in Spain in the present, and the changes that have taken place in society related politics, religion, economy, and society.
Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish
To request a course syllabus: syllabus@usac.edu
U.S. Visiting Professors
While most USAC courses are taught by local faculty, the following U.S. professor will also teach in this program:
Summer Session I, 2025
Course: International Marketing
Douglas Albertson, Ph.D., University of Alabama
Doug Albertson is an instructor of Marketing in the Culverhouse College of Business at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He has taught courses on marketing, consumer behavior, and business negotiations.
Summer Session II, 2025
Course: Operations Management
Jianliang Hao, Ph.D., CSU, Chico
Dr. Jianliang Hao is an Assistant Professor at California State University, Chico, specializing in operations and supply chain management. He received the Western Decision Science Institute Junior Faculty Award in 2024. His research and teaching span operations and global supply chain strategy.