Higher Education in Spain

Higher Education in Spain is carried out by public and private Universities. There are more than 70 universities, around 50 are public and the rest, over 20, are private. They are distributed throughout the Spanish territory and the cities that concentrate the largest number of universities are Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The Ministry of Education and Culture administers educational courses of study at both public and private universities. Both public and private universities possess the right to award their own degrees following programs called institutional programs not formally acknowledged by the ministry of education. The ministry of education establishes the academic standards, regulates the conferral of all degrees and academic titles, and additionally awards diplomas in the relatively small non-university sector of higher education.

Grading System:

Types of Higher Education Institutions:

There are two types of university in Spain, such as Public University and Private University.

Public University:

Public universities and private universities are founded pursuant to a specific act passed by the Legislative Assembly of the region where the institution will be located, or an act approved by the Spanish Parliament, at the proposal of the central government and in accordance with the relevant Autonomous Community Council. A report from the General Conference for University Policy is also mandatory. Public universities are integrated by University Schools, Faculties, Departments, University Institutes for Research, Doctoral Colleges and by other necessary schools or structures for the development of their functions. The requirements for the establishment and the maintenance of these institutions are established by the Government, once a report by the General Conference for University Policy and the Council of Universities has been issued. 

Private University:

Private universities and university private centers may be created by any individual or legal entity, regarding that they respect the constitutional principles as they are subject to State and Autonomous regulations. University private centers must be integrated into a private university as centers belonging to the university or they must be ascribed to a public or private university. Private universities elaborate and approve their own regulations for their organization and functioning. These must respect and guarantee, through a broad participation of the university community, the academic freedom manifested in the academic freedom, research and study. 

Types of Degrees:

Bachelor’s Degree:

Bachelor’s degree studies, which lead to the award of a degree, are organized in the following areas and sub-areas: Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Law, Engineering and Architecture. These studies require a total of 240 credits for obtaining a grade degree with an average duration of three or four academic years. This is also known as Grado. This is the first cycle of Spain University system that emphasizes on general education.

Master’s Degree:

These studies require between 60 and 120 credits for obtaining a Masters degree and consist of one to two academic years of study. They also require the public defense of a thesis between 6 and 30 credits. This is the second cycle of Spain University system that emphasizes on professional education.

PhD / Doctorate Degree:

To obtain the doctoral qualification a Masters degree is required. The doctoral studies are divided into two phases. The first consists of 60 credits of theoretical study and the second is research-based. It requires the public defense of a doctoral thesis as an original research work in a particular field. There are no time limits for completing doctoral programs but they usually require three to four academic years of study and research. This is the third cycle of Spain University system.