The new higher education system in Spain consists of three consecutive phases.

The First educational training phase: is the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree.  In the Spanish higher education system, it is four years of study resulting in a Grado Degree (Bachelors degree in Spain).

The first phase of higher education in Spain colleges and universities is available in all fields of study: humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

To become a nurse or a paramedic in Spain, you also do the first phase of training – a “grado enfermería”. The level of training in Spain in this field is highly valued all over the world, which is why Spanish nurses and paramedics work in almost every country that pays well for this type of job.

The Second educational training phase: is the equivalent of a Master’s Degree or diploma of higher education under the old educational system. In the Spanish higher education system this is a Master’s Degree.

You can only enter the second phase of training in Spain if you already have a Bachelors degree in Spain (Grado).

International students must have a higher education diploma from their home country, which does not need to be homologated by the Ministry of Education of Spain in order to enter a Master’s degree Program.

The Third educational training phase: In the Spanish higher education system, the student is awarded a Doctorate degree. The duration of the training is 1 year and focuses on thesis preparation.

For the third phase in Spain, doctorado, you can enter only after having completed one of the programs of the second phase, and usually only after an official Master’s program.

In Spain’s new higher education system, the official Master and Doctorado programs are interconnected, flowing seamlessly from one to the other. If you want to devote yourself to research or professorship, it is important to look carefully  at which of the Master’s programs you will be able to enter based on the doctorado program you are interested in.

Not all master’s degrees lead to doctoral school.

To enter a Spanish doctoral school, international students must have a master’s degree from their home country’s university, which does not need to be legalized by the Spanish Ministry of Education.

• Postgrado. Postgrado training programs include all second and third phases programs in Spain:
  Master Oficial
  Doctorado
• They also include their own degrees (diplomas) from universities:
  Master Universitario
  Experto Universitario

Programs tend to focus on a narrower specialization in a particular field. Let’s say a student has a bachelors degree in law. When he enters the Master’s or Experto program, he chooses a specific applied field: business law, international law, administrative law, etc.

As a rule, programs typically last 1 year. The “Título propio”  university Master’s programs are the most expensive in the higher education system in Spain when compared to the Master Oficial.

A bit of history: the new common European system of higher education: The Bologna Agreement.

On June 19, 1999, a meeting of European education ministers was held in Bologna, Italy, where it was decided to establish a European Education Zone, starting in 2010. This meant that the countries participating in the agreement would have common educational systems, ranging from requirements for curricula and credits to common educational degrees.

One of the goals of the Bologna Agreement was to increase the international competitiveness of European higher education and to increase student mobility. Currently, more than 40 countries have signed the Bologna Agreement, including Spain.

We are always happy to tailor a personal university preparation program in Spain for you during a consultation session. Come along!

Education in Spain is based on the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) – the European credit transfer system. ECTS consists not only of theoretical hours (that is, those spent with the professor in lectures and examinations), but also practical hours, which includes time spent on writing papers, preparing for seminars, etc. One ECTS credit corresponds to 25-30 credit hours (nowadays one credit is equal to 10 academic hours).

Prior to 2014, the following degrees were awarded in the Spanish higher education system:

3 years of training:

Diplomado – degree awarded in all fields except engineering and architecture

Ingeniero Técnico – degree in engineering

Arquitecto Técnico – degree in architecture

5 years of training: equivalent of the home country’s higher education diploma under the old educational system.

Licenciado – degree awarded in all fields except engineering and architecture

Ingeniero Superior – degree in engineering

Arquitecto – degree in architecture

 

see also:

Spain colleges and universities
Rankings of Universities and Faculties in Spain
The tuition fees at Spanish universities
The tuition fee for the first higher education in business schools and private universities in Spain