Studying a master's degree in a university in Spain
In Spain, in general, masters courses last 1 year and are valued at 60 ECTS per year.
The French system known as LMD (Licence in 1 year, Master1 in 1 year and Master2 in 1 year, Doctorate) is carried out differently in other European universities. This is the case in Spain where university studies are organized as follows:
- Licence 4 or 5 years
- Master's degree of 1 to 3 years (especially in the field of health, such as physiotherapy or dentistry)
- Doctorate 3 years (minimum).
Why study a Master's degree in a university in Spain?
There are many reasons why you should choose to do a master's degree in Spain. The first and most obvious is that you have obtained your Bachelor's degree in Spain and you wish to continue and complete your education in this country.
You will be able to complete your knowledge and increase your professional skills.
Doing a master's degree in Spain also means choosing a specialty that you may not find in France. If you want to specialize in a sector where Spain is at the forefront, training in Spain will give you better skills.
This can also be the case for training in the health field, which are only offered in DU in France, and for which you have Masters in Spain with many hours of practice on patients.
Finally, it can be a personal or professional life project. A master's degree will give you the contacts you need to integrate more easily in Spain. If you want to work in Spain, there is nothing like a master's degree to help you integrate, create the network you need and become familiar with Spanish work habits and customs.
Questions / AnswersMasters in Spain
You will be required to have at least a B2 level of Spanish. Sometimes you will have to prove this level with an official certification. Generally speaking, you must have a good command of Spanish to apply for a master's degree in Spain.
Yes, some masters in Spain are offered 100% in English. These English-language masters are often offered in the field of business.
Due to the difference in the number of years of study between France and Spain to obtain the Bachelor's degree, the admission criteria may vary.
In general, access to an official master's degree in Spain will be after a selection process in which your application will be evaluated and often compared to other applications.
For this you will need to:
- Hold a bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) or a bachelor's degree + master's degree1 (240 ECTS ) if the official master's degree you are aiming for is only accessible with a prerequisite of 240 ECTS whose contents are related to the master's degree you wish to apply for.
- Provide official documents that prove your degree. These documents will often be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. (CAUTION: Ask about the cost of a sworn translation before you begin the process, as it can be very expensive!)
- Speak Spanish: level B2 or higher. Official certification such as SIELE or DELE is welcome but not always required
- Follow the admission process for the desired master's degree, which generally includes an interview and sometimes knowledge tests on the subject.
- Have a valid ID
Be careful: some official masters programs may be difficult to access if the program requires a minimum of 240 ECTS credits to enter. Your French licence gives you 180 ECTS. A master's degree may require that you have 240 ECTS, which is an additional year of official university training, i.e. a Master 1 if you are studying in France.
In the case of masters in the health field, access is much clearer. You must have a diploma in the profession in question in order to apply for the corresponding official masters.
The application of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for admission to a Master's degree in Spain is not automatic. Higher education institutions are autonomous in deciding on admission to a Master's degree, even when it is officially recognized by the Spanish State.
In order to know if you are eligible for an official master's degree in Spain, your file will be studied individually.
In Spain, as in most European countries, higher education institutions are free to admit students to Master's programs.
If a university is interested in your profile, they will admit you, if they are not interested in your file, they will not admit you.
Universities do not have to justify their decision and most of the time will not.
You will often not know their answer until the summer before you return to school, so we advise you to have a plan B in case the answer is negative.
You will have to incur costs, which can be significant, to provide sworn translations of the programs of study that you have already completed in France or elsewhere in Europe. Be aware that you may incur these costs only to be denied access to the official Master's program.
Once you've registered on our website, send us an e-mail at info@feeduc.eu so that we can find out which Master's degree you'd like to apply for, and give you details of how to apply.
In some fields of study, not regulated, it can be interesting to do a Master's degree, even if it is not official. In Spain they are called "titulo propio".
This is the case in the field of business, for example, where it is not so much the formality of the Master's degree that is fundamental, but the content of the program and the network that is created are of interest. A Master's degree in Business in Spain allows you to create an international network that can be essential for certain careers.
Very innovative masters, in very specialized technical fields or in sectors of activity that are too recent, have only unofficial masters, and the public authorities have not yet been able or willing to standardize these masters, which nevertheless have real interests and real benefits for those who choose them.
No, you can find formal and "proprietary" master's programs in various public and private institutions. To avoid making the wrong choice, we advise you to choose universities (public or private) or renowned business schools to do a master's degree in Spain. We know the sector well, for many years, and we can also advise you on this point.
As specified in the terms and conditions, FEEDUC does not offer support for Masters courses at public universities in Spain (results uncertain and late).
