Masters degree - Postgraduate in English in Spain for international students

The Master's degree program in Spain is known for its strong humanitarian, social and economic areas. Among them, business management stands out in particular. Spain boasts three schools at once, which are included in the list of the fifteen best MBAs in the world according to the QS ranking.

Duration of study Master degree in Spain depends on the direction of studying.  For humanities, exact sciences and engineering, the Master's degree is usually designed for 60 European credits and lasts one academic year. But at the faculties of psychology, medicine and biology, the foreign students study for one and a half to two years, and the students need to score from 90 to 120 ECTS.

Master degree programs in Spain consist of modules, which are divided in three groups:

• Asignaturas troncas – basic subjects common to all students
• Asignaturas obligatorias – specialized disciplines in a narrow specialty
• Asignaturas optativas – subjects, which can be chosen according to student’s interests.

Master's degree studies at Spanish universities include lectures, seminars and a research project under the guidance of a mentor. There are no strict attendance requirements for some forms of education, but teachers strongly recommend to not miss classes in order not to fail the semester exam. Lectures last 50-60 minutes. In general, 4-5 lectures a week are held at the master's level.

Students' academic performance is assessed at the final exams in June, which can be retaken in September. To obtain a master's degree, the foreign students also need to write and defend a graduate thesis — thesis de titulación.

Spain actively attracts international students. In 2021, they accounted for 12.6% of the total number of students in the country — not the largest figure for Europe. Therefore, universities are introducing more and more English-language courses. Of course, this is not Germany, where there are more than a thousand of them, but there is a choice. In total, there are 322 programs in Spain that are taught entirely in English, and another 400 bilingual. Half of the courses there are in Spanish, half in English.

The most popular directions of studying in Spain are architecture, service, hospitality and tourism, business and management, construction engineering, linguistics and philosophy.

The cost of studying on art master degree in Spain depends on the region of institution location, type of the university, specialty, number of the studying disciplines. The total price of the course is calculated from the number of ECTS credits. These are special units that are used to evaluate study hours and work. Usually, to get a master's degree, the foreign students need to dial 60-120 ECTS.

• Region. The cost of the credit depends on the region. The most expensive in Madrid, Castilla Leone and Catalonia (Barcelona) is 29-47 USD per credit. This means that the year of study there will be 1,710- 2,810 USD. For international students, the cost is often higher and averages 3,563-4,072 USD/year. In other regions, for example in Andalusia and Galicia, it is cheaper to study — only 10-14 USD per credit, that is 611-855 USD/year.
• The cost of studying in the private universities varies from 5,091 USD to 18,326 USD per year, but does not exceed 20,362 USD (unless it is a business school).
• Specialty. The choice of faculty also affects the cost of studying. Technical, medical and natural sciences specialties are more expensive, and humanities are cheaper. For example, a program in modern history at the Autonomous University of Madrid costs 3,716 USD/year, and in neuroscience — 7,739 USD/year.

Admission to master's degree programs is regulated by the universities themselves, so the requirements and the procedure for submitting documents will depend on the specific university and faculty. At the same time, it is desirable that the previous education corresponds to the chosen master's degree program.

All deadlines for applying are also determined by the universities themselves — there is no general time frame. As a rule, for the autumn-winter semester, the documents are accepted from January to the end of May-beginning of June.

Below the list of necessary documents is provided:

• Diploma of previous education (specialist, bachelor's or master's level);
• Motivation letter;
• Certificate of proficiency in Spanish and/or English;
• Recommendations from former teachers (1-2);
• Registration fee (up to 102 USD).

If you submit copies of documents, they should be notarized.

Remember that the requirements vary depending on the university and faculty. For example, for master degree MBA in Spain, you additionally need to pass GRE or GMAT, and sometimes pass an interview. Always check the exact list of documents on your university's website.

To study in Spain, the international students must provide a certificate confirming the level of proficiency in a foreign language.

To study in Spanish, the foreign students need DELE B2 or DELE C1/C2. With the latter, there are more chances to enrol, and for some programs, for example in the field of medicine or law, B2 may not be accepted at all. It is assumed that in these areas, foreign students should speak Spanish at the highest possible level. Outside of Spain, the exam is conducted by the Cervantes Institute.

For programs in English, a TOEFL certificate (from 80 points) or IELTS (from 6.0 points) is required.

In case of admission to a bilingual program, certificates for both languages are provided.

Learning programs-summary information

Top 15 best universities in Switzerland 2024