Spain's University System
There are 51 public and 21 private universities in Spain. They are distributed throughout the country but the cities with the highest number of universities are Madrid (13), Barcelona (8) and Valencia (4).
Madrid has the highest number of private universities located there. These universities are very interested in the admission of foreign students to a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.
Undergraduate university studies are divided into different stages known as cycles. There are three types of programs:
- 1. Single-cycle programs (or short-cycle studies):
- These studies do not continue to the second cycle (examples of this type of programs are Library Studies, Nursing, etc.) and degrees awarded are the Diplomatura (Bachelor degree). These are normally three-year programs.
- 2. Two-cycle studies with an intermediate diploma:
- The first cycle leads to the award of the Diplomatura (Bachelor), or Arquitectura Técnica and Ingeniería Técnica (Bachelor degree in Architecture or Engineering), and students have the option of continuing to the second cycle for the award of the degree of Licenciatura (Masters degree), or Arquitecto and Ingeniero (Architect and Engineer) . These are five or six-year programs. Examples are Economics, Law, Architecture, Engineering, etc.
- 3. Two-cycle studies without an intermediate diploma (or long-cycle studies):
- These studies are divided into two cycles but it is necessary to complete both to be eligible for the award of the Licenciatura(Masters Degree). Examples are Veterinary Science, Medicine, etc. These are four or five-year programs.
In addition to these official degrees or diplomas, each university offers a wide range of unofficial degrees (Maestrias) as well as graduate programs in a wide range of subjects that qualify for the award of the degree of Doctor (Ph.D.). The unofficial degrees are typically one or two years and usually require having attained an undergraduate or graduate degree and are widely recognized for their labour market value, as these qualifications are highly practical in scope and geared to specialized sectors of the different professions. Spanish universities' offer of doctoral degree programs typically require four years of study and research.
The universities cover the whole spectrum of official degrees offered in Spain with the official recognition of its Ministry of Education, as well as a wide variety of non-official degrees in a large number of professional fields. In the area of business administration, the MBAs offered most of the best non-official degrees and are among the most prestigious centers in the world.
The academic calendar in Spanish universities
The academic calendar in Spanish universities tends to be similar throughout the country: lectures begin in October and the academic year ends in June.
Examinations are held at the end of the first semester, in February, and at the end of the second semester, in June. However, there are some variations between universities.
Teaching and evaluation methods
Teaching methodology includes lectures, seminars and practical work under the supervision of a tutor. Attendance, while not obligatory, is strongly recommended, as it constitutes a fundamental part of university education. Lectures last for 50-60 minutes and professors often use audiovisual materials as teaching aids.
Students are assessed through final examinations in February, in the case of one semester courses; or in June, in the case of courses that run throughout the academic year, or one semester courses run in the second semester. Students who do not pass examinations are able to re-sit in September. In some cases, professors may choose to set various evaluative activities (exams, projects, etc.) throughout the year which, if successfully completed, can replace the final examination.
Admission of international students
In order to gain admission to an undergraduate program in a university in Spain, international students are required to obtain official recognition of their previous studies and pass the official Spanish university entrance exams (Selectividad), which are taken twice a year in many of the countries of origin of the students. StudyinSpain provides guidance for those students willing to take the Selectividad examinations in their own country.
Once they have passed the university entrance exams, international students are eligible to study at any public or private Spanish university.
Most Spanish universities require students intending to begin an undergraduate program to apply to their faculties or schools. Each university sets its own application and admission schedule. It is important to apply well in advance.
Free medical insurance
A student health insurance plan, covering accidents on campus, family emergencies and illness, is available to all international students under 28 years of age who are enrolled in a Spanish university.
Those who are over 28 years of age are protected by the national health system, which guarantees that foreign nationals legally resident in Spain have the right to benefit from Social Security services, which in Spain are very advanced and of high quality.
Spain in the European Higher Education space
Since 1999, Spain has been immersed in a transformation of its higher education system, along with more than 30 European countries, with the aim of creating a European Higher Education Space (EHES). This process will culminate in 2010 and its objectives are to harmonize qualification frameworks and the credit system (units for measuring academic achievement), as well as to guarantee the standards and recognition of qualifications, in order to increase student mobility and facilitate the integration of graduates into the European labor market.
Spain is implementing legal measures for the adoption of the European credit and qualifications system, as well as the European qualification supplements. This facilitates the recognition of official Spanish qualifications in over 30 countries participating in the EHES project, as well as the official recognition of Spanish qualifications in other countries outside the European framework, such as the United States, Asia and Latin America.