Study in Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain is a sovereign state located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranea Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Along with France and Morocco, it is one of only three countries to have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Spain's 1,214 km (754 mi) border with Portugal is the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union.

Modern Spain is a democracy organized in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the 13th largest economy in the world.

Education System :

Spain offering international students from a wide variety of academic and national backgrounds both outstanding higher education and exchange opportunities and excellent facilities for LEARNING SPANISH culture and language. There are more than 70 universities throughout Spain, more that 50 are public and the rest, more than 20, are private universities.

They are distributed throughout the country but the biggest and most important cities have the highest number of universities, in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

University studies in Spain according are divided into three different stages, Grade degrees (Undergraduate studies), University Master degrees (Graduate studies) and DOCTORAL DEGREES (Postgraduate studies).

Undergraduate studies, leading to Grade degrees, are taught in the following fields and sub-fields:
Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Law, Engineering and Architecture. These studies require a total of 240 credits, to earn a Grade degree, consisting normally of three to four academic year programs.

Graduate studies, leading to University MASTER DEGREE:
These studies require 60 to 120 credits, to earn a University Master degree, consisting normally of one to two academic year programs, and the public defense of a thesis is required also, that will entail 6 to 30 credits.

Postgraduate studies, leading to a DOCTORAL DEGREE.
Earning a Doctoral degree requires the previous possesion of a University Master degree. The postgraduate studies are divided into two cycles, one of study that requires 60 credits, and another of research. The public defense of a doctoral thesis, an original work of research in any field, is required. There is no time limit for DOCTORAL PROGRAMS, but they typically require three to four years of study and research.

Intakes: :

Although application deadlines may vary depending on the institution, there are usually 3 intakes for studies at Spanish UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES:

• First week of June: for studies beginning in the fall semester (October).
• First week of September: late applications for studies beginning in the fall semester (October).
• First week of December: for studies beginning in the spring semester (February).

Requirements :

Undergraduate studies (first cycle) :
If you have successfully completed upper secondary studies in one of the signatory countries of the Lisbon Convention, are in possession of a valid school leaving certificate and qualify for higher education studies in your home country, you may also qualify for higher education studies in Spain. However, you are requested to prove your level of English and/or Spanish. In some cases, you are also requested to take additional qualifying courses.

Master's studies (second cycle) :
If you are applying for a master's program at university in Spain, you are required to be in possession of a relevant Bachelor's or equivalent degree diploma.

PhD studies (third cycle) :
In the event you are applying for doctoral studies at university in Spain, you are required to be in possession of a relevant diploma or master's degree program.

Education and Living Costs: :

Tuition Fees :
Spanish course fees are among the lowest in Europe for residents and EU nationals. Being relatively inexpensive, it is also a popular study destination for international students.This means that you are not required to pay higher course fees than Spanish students and that you are entitled to apply for any grants available to help with tuition fees.The tuition fee for studying at a public university in Spain is approx. 1,000 EUR per year.

Students have to pay registration and tuition fees at public universities in Spain. The total amount paid varies depending on the course and its credit worth. Enrolment fees for Bachelors degrees (180 credits or 60 credits per year) at public universities in Spain vary between 500 EUR and 1,120 EUR per academic year. The fees for official masters and doctoral degrees at public and private universities are regulated by the government. A master program is usually worth 90-120 credits, except a Master of Science which is worth 240 credits, also 60 credits per year. As an example, a masters course comprising 60 ECTS credits may cost between 960 EUR and 1800 EUR.

Living Cost :
Studies have estimated that students and researchers in Spain spend an average of 900 and 1100€ per month on living expenses, depending on the city. The differences are due mainly to the cost OF ACCOMMODATION (renting a flat, living in a university residence, etc.) which tends to be higher in the larger cities. On the other hand, food prices and the cost of other services tend to be quite similar all over Spain.