Through Cal Poly’s Noyce School of Applied Computing, 13 students will spend the spring quarter abroad in Granada, Spain.
The Cal Poly Global Program: Computational Sciences in Granada will offer second- and third-year computing students an immersive experience in Spain as they complete required coursework.
The Granada program follows the 2025 Computational Sciences in Barcelona study-abroad experience, where 14 computing students learned about transportation networks throughout the country.
Taught by computer science and software engineering associate professor Theresa Migler and lecturer Andrew Migler, the curriculum blends immersion in Spanish culture with analysis of how transportation networks shape history, travel and trends.
“In the 490 class, ‘Networks through Time and Spain,’ we’ll study plague transmission networks, the Roman road network, the modern rail network and language diffusion,” Theresa Migler said. “We have trips planned that support the course topics, and we’ll really be living what we are studying.”
This year, all 13 students were awarded full or partial funding through the Noyce School of Applied Computing to take part in the program.
Yaneli Cruz went abroad for last year’s Computational Sciences in Barcelona program, where she experienced Spanish culture through computing.
“The classes were specific to Spain; we learned about the bubonic plague and human contact networks,” she said. “It was cool to see how networks and graph theory work in real-world settings.”
According to research shared on NAFSA.org, studying abroad can improve GPAs, completion, retention and transfer rates among college students. Beyond college, research shows that those who study abroad have increased employability and career skills, meaning opportunities through the Cal Poly Global Program can benefit students long after graduation.
“We got to hear from data scientists and software engineers in the field and learn about potential career opportunities,” Cruz said. “They talked to us about coding and potential career trajectories.”
While the financial aspect of studying abroad can weigh heavily on students’ ability to take part in a program like this, the Noyce School offers financial aid options and scholarships to help offset costs.
“I made the decision to talk to financial aid beforehand and make a plan,” Cruz said. “I also got a $5,000 scholarship from the Noyce School for the program.”
While the aspect of going abroad may be enough for students to consider, the faculty help make the experience even more memorable.
“Theresa and Andrew Migler made the experience,” Cruz said, “They’re some of the best people, and they really made it worthwhile.”