Features of higher education
Spanish universities are one of the oldest higher education institutions in the world. For example, the University of Salamanca was founded in 1134.
Higher education in Spain can be obtained in two types of educational institutions:
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the first is universities and higher technical schools that provide all three levels of academic degrees;
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the second is university schools of vocational education.
In addition, there are university colleges that teach students general subjects and prepare them for admission to universities. The Spanish Bachelor's degree lasts for 4 years (with the exception of medical and engineering specialties). The duration of master's and postgraduate studies is 1-2 years.
Depending on the university, you may need to pass an entrance exam or pass an interview. A very popular method of admission is a transfer from a foreign university. A student who has completed the first year of university in his country can apply for continuing education in a similar specialty at a higher educational institution in Spain. In this case, you do not need to take additional exams, enrollment is based on academic performance. As a rule, students are enrolled in the second year (even if they are transferred from the third) with the translation of the completed disciplines.
The tuition fee
In state universities, the tuition fee
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bachelor's degree: 800-3500 euros per year,
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for a master's degree: 800-3500 euros per year.
Studying at private universities is more expensive, but usually does not exceed 20,000 euros per year. At the same time, some business school programs can cost more than 25,000 euros.
The most inexpensive programs are law, engineering, social sciences, physics, master's programs - social and natural sciences, biology, chemistry.
Papers for admission
For international students in Spain, entrance exams (selectividad para extranjeros) may be required. These exams are written, three of them are mandatory: Spanish, philosophy or history of Spain, a foreign language (English, German, French, Italian or Portuguese), and one is optional in the discipline chosen by the student to increase the number of points scored. Exams can be taken in June or September. And in case of a summer failure, you can try again in the fall.
Required documents for admission to the bachelor's degree:
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A school graduation certificate
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Transcripts of grades for the last 2 years
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Proof of proficiency in a foreign language or several
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Online entrance test
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Interview
Necessary documents for admission to the master's program:
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Bachelor's Degree
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resume
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Letter of recommendation
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Online entrance test
Student visa
A student visa in Spain allows you to study, participate in exchange programs and work as an intern in Spain for more than 3 months. Before applying for a visa, you need to enroll in a university. When applying for a long-term visa (from 6 months), the student must also issue a student residence card at the immigration service within a month after arrival.
Under a student visa, it is allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during education .
After studying, the student does not receive a work permit. First, you need to get an invitation from the employer, who must prove that he could not find a Spanish candidate for this position, and only after that you can get a work visa.
Language proficiency requirements
There are not many English-language programs in the country, and they are mainly offered by private business schools. Examples of available majors in English:
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marketing,
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communications,
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tourism, primary education,
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economics,
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journalism.
Average English language requirements:
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TOEFL from 80-87,
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IELTS from 6.0-6.5.
To confirm your knowledge of Spanish, you need to get a DELE certificate - at least 60 points out of 100, at least 30 points out of 50 in each section. Universities where you can choose good English-language programs at institutions such as the Global Business School (Barcelona) and the University of Marbella (Malaga).
Deadlines for submitting documents
The minimum period of preparation for admission is 3 months, the optimal period is 1-1. 5 years. If you want to enroll the university its better to start preparing as soon as possible.
You can apply in the first week of June to start education in October and in the first week of September to start education in February.