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Graduate study in Spain
Spain plays host to some of the oldest universities in the world and the tradition of higher education provides an important factor in more international students considering Spain as a destination for their graduate studies. Tim Rogers investigates what Spain has to offer international students interested in studying in Europe in one of the most vibrant countries in the EU.
Though only a relatively small number of international graduate students are currently registered in Spain, interest in the country’s universities has been on the increase for the last five years. Both private and state universities offer graduate programs in Spain across the full range of academic subjects. Many of these institutions have now adopted the European-wide Bologna reforms resulting in master’s degrees being between one and two years in length and PhD programs a minimum of three years. In the case of master’s programs under these reforms many universities throughout Spain have termed the new degrees “Bologna Master’s” and have supported their introduction with investment in new facilities and new academic members of teaching and research staff.
Quality education
Master’s degrees, like PhD’s, end with the production and oral defence of a thesis, encouraging international students to study at an extremely high level. All programs of this kind are made up of a combination of taught and research elements, the emphasis of the division being dependant on the nature of the academic subject. The quality control and accreditation related to these graduate degrees is the responsibility of the Spanish Ministry of Education, which operates according to the standards drawn up by the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Irrespective of where a student comes from and where they choose to work after graduation, a Spanish graduate degree will be recognized as a qualification of good quality.
Irrespective of where a student comes from and where they choose to work after graduation, a Spanish graduate degree will be recognized as a qualification of good quality.
International students and programs
Graduate degree programs are offered in both English and Spanish, with the latter being particularly popular amongst those students from all over Latin America and even the USA. For many years Spain has been regarded as one of the most popular destinations for undergraduate exchange students, with almost 21,000 US students alone studying in Spanish institutions in 2006, but now an increasing number of international students are opting for Spanish Masters and research degrees. Business schools In Spain, such IESE and EADA, have long attracted international students with a combination of globally accredited degree programs, excellent teaching and research staff, an English-language curriculum and high entry standards - now such characteristics are common throughout the Spanish university system, public and private.
The application process for many of Spain’s taught Masters programs is similar to that operated in other European countries, with direct applications being accepted from students with an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. Depending on the content and subject of the graduate degree for which a student is applying, it is routinely expected that the first degree will be in a similar academic area.
Graduate admissions
Deadlines vary by university and in some cases two application dates are offered for prospective international students. Some universities, such as Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, indicate very precisely the academic and other requirements needed by an international student to qualify for admission and also disclose the exact weight different elements of the application material will be given. In the case of the Pompeu Fabra’s master’s degree in bioinformatics, for example, the admissions decision is conducted by a panel of three academic members of staff and places 50% of the decision on a candidates academic record, 10% on any additional academic or professional training relevant to the degree and 40% on a candidates personal aptitudes as indicated through letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose.
