About Spain Education
Spain has seventy five universities (universidades), of which fifty are founded on a public base and also twenty five on a non-public basis. On the fifty public universities, forty eight show up under the capacity of Autonomous Communities whilst 2 come under the Ministry of Education and Science. Of the 25 non-public universities, 7 fit in to the Catholic Church.
Spain also offers a amount of non-university higher education institutes for physical education, civil marine, tourism, dramatic art and dance, song and music, and also a variety of remarkably performing business schools (normally American).
Even though few ” real spanish ” universities are globe-well-known, Spain has a lengthy historical past of university education, with the university method courting back to the center ages and the most ancient university (Salamanca) started in 1218 (previous to which, the Moors had ‘universities’ in Spain longer before everyone else had even concept of them).
The most significant and most hugely regarded as Spanish universities are Complutense in Madrid and the University of Barcelona, with student physiques of around 76, 000 and 90, 000 respectively, even though both Granada and Seville universities each and every have above 60, 000 students. (2009-2010 academics year)
The range of university students in Spain mounted in the 1960s and 1970s and right now numbers over 1. 5 million, a physique normally regarded as to be also excessive for a country with a populace of 45 million. Overcrowding is a enormous problem, especially in 1st year classes (you normally should occur early just to get a seat at a lecture). On the other hand, many students drop out after the challenging examinations set at the end of the 1st year.
The number of woman students has improved by around 40 % in the previous decades and they now outnumber male students (additional females also finished their programs and acquire degrees than males).
International students constitute just 3 % of students at Spanish universities, with a 3rd arriving from European Union countries.
In common, the academic year operates from Oct to June.
Kinds of universities
There are 4 distinct kinds of university organizations in Spain: university schools (escuelas universitarias), where ‘short-term’ 3-year programs are available; university colleges (colegios universitarios) wherever the 1st 3 years of study resulting to a licenciado is finished; faculties (facultades) where long-phrase programs are available in all academics disciplines (apart from specialised courses) and higher technical schools of engineering and architecture (escuela outstanding de ingeniería y arquitectura) where long-term specialized courses are finished.
The Spanish university procedure is rigidly organized and students must select a set programs and aren’t authorized to alter universities for the duration of their studies (apart from family or health reasons).
Studies at Spanish universities are separated into 3 cycles and have underwent some alterations since 2010 and beyond. In series with the European Higher Education Area, programs are located in one of many subsequent 3 cycles:
- Bachelor’s programmes – basic degree programmes and/or general education-oriented;
- Master’s programmes – specialised or multidisciplinary leading-edge coaching, academics or specialized driven;
- Doctorate programmes – superior coaching in research strategies.
Joining university
Competitors for areas at Spanish universities is higher as now there are way too several areas for all the students hoping to enroll. Spanish students must include an Intermediate level and then complete an Entry exam. This will provide them a opportunity to proceed their education in a university and also alternative Higher education service.
EU nationals are eligible to participate for areas at Spanish universities on similar conditions with Spanish nationals, as are Spanish nationals in alternative EU locations.
Moreover, a percent of areas at many universities, e. g. 5 %, are allotted to international non-EU students. Usually, qualifications that are recognized as entry conditions in a student’s residence country are approved in Spain.
Applications must be posted to universities and tackled to the student secretariat (vice-rectorado de alumnos).
Spanish universities recognize British A-levels as an entry qualification, although an American high school diploma isn’t normally recognized. American students should generally have invested 2 years at college or carry a BA, BBA or BSc degree.
For details concerning the identification of EU diplomas in Spain, make contact with the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Subdirección General de Cooperación Internacional, Centro de Información sobre Reconocimiento de Títulos y Movilidad de Estudiantes, C/Alcalá, 34, 28014 Madrid (917-018 000, www.mec.es).
Students with international certification must have them authorized by a procedure referred to as convalidation or homologation (homologación) by the Spanish Department of Education and Culture in Spain. All international students need a comprehensive expertise of Spanish, however preparatory programs are offered.
Notice that in autonomous areas where there’s a 2nd endorsed language (e. g. the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia), programs may be executed in the regional language.
Additional details
Details with regards to higher education in Spain can be attained from the ethnical parts of Spanish embassies in foreign countries and from the University Council (Consejo de Coordinación Universitaria, ccu. mec. es), Secretaría General, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (914-539 800).
A helpful eBook with regards to higher education in Spain is Learning and Functioning in Spain by M. Newton and G. Shields (Manchester University Press) and the Spain Exchange webpage also comprises of a wealth of practical details about learning in Spain and also a comprehensive criteria of all universities and higher education organizations in the country.
