- Studying at University of Barcelona
- Departments of University of Barcelona
- Cost of studying at University of Barcelona
- How to gain admittance to University of Barcelona
- How to gain admittance to the Bachelor’s program of University of Barcelona
- How to achieve admission to the Master's Program at the University of Barcelona
- How to gain admission to the Doctoral Program (Graduate School) of the University of Barcelona
Founded in 1540, University of Barcelona is one of the oldest universities in Catalonia. Due to its long history, this university has acquired great prestige and is considered to rank among the best state universities in Spain and the world. Throughout its more than 564 years of history, University of Barcelona has become one of the most influential academic, scientific, and research-oriented centers of Europe; it is a leader in terms of both the quality and quantity of research conducted here. University of Barcelona is located in the very heart of Catalonia, in the impressive city the university is named for, situated on the Mediterranean coast! Are you still considering which university you would like to attend as an exchange student? University of Barcelona is definitely an option to consider! Why? You will discover the reasons in our article.
Studying at University of Barcelona
Although it is an older institution, University of Barcelona is a modern university that adapts the latest innovations, which it successfully combines with valuable experience accumulated over the centuries, while applying top-notch technologies in different fields of science. In order to realize fully the grandeur of this university, one might consider the statistics. The university includes 676,153 m² of studying space, 16 departments, 8 affiliated studying centers, over 90,000 students (9662 of which are foreign students and 1749 exchange students), 5311 teachers and researchers, enormous libraries (more than 188,8000 books), 100,000 m² of sports infrastructure, and an annual budget of €62.7 million allocated for research purposes. University of Barcelona also has 7 campuses, 2 park zones, student dormitories, and parking lots. The university collaborates with numerous international universities and organizations and within recent years has signed 3,000 cooperation agreements with other universities. The progress and achievements made by University of Barcelona, whose professors hold numerous prizes and awards, have been noted by international academic societies. Moreover, the university boasts excellent positions in various rankings on both the national and international levels:
- The Times Higher Education –174th in the ranking of top-200 universities in the world
- QS World University Rankings – 1st place in Spain, 73rd in Europe, and 166th in the world, entering the list of top-200 universities in the world in 27 out of 36 scientific specializations;
- Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) – 1st position in Spain, 65th in Europe and 176th in the world;
- Global Universities – 1st in Spain, 26th in Europe, and 90th in the world;
- Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) – 1st position in Spain, 32nd in Europe, 116th in the world.
At University of Barcelona, one can pursue any level of degree: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degree (Ph.D). The duration of the Bachelor's programs is 3-6 years; Master's programs last for about 1 year; Ph.D programs last for 3 years and up. Apart from these standard degrees, there are numerous advanced professional trainings, post-graduate courses, and “life-long learning” programs for those interested in continuing their studies later in life. The university offers an impressive range of programs, including 73 Bachelor's programs, 144 Master's programs, 48 Doctoral programs, 654 UB-specific Master's degree courses and postgraduate diplomas, 97 university extension courses, and 599 life-long learning courses. So, there are many options from which to choose! All the courses are designed in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education of Spain and also meet the requirements of the modern job market and the academic world. University of Barcelona offers both full-time and distance learning (the latter for certain majors only). The main languages of teaching are Catalan, Spanish, and English. Additionally, anyone who is interested in taking Catalan or Spanish courses may do so at the language center of the university. When taking into account all of the facts detailed above, one can be sure that studying at University of Barcelona means having access to everything necessary for the learning process. Furthermore, upon graduating from this famous university, one will have obtained a prestigious degree and valuable skills.
Departments of University of Barcelona
All educational programs are taught on the premises of 16 departments:
- Department of Fine Arts;
- Department of Library and Archive Sciences;
- Department of Biology;
- Department of Law;
- Department of Economics and Business;
- Department of Pedagogy;
- Department of Pharmaceutics;
- Department of Philology;
- Department of Philosophy;
- Department of Physics;
- Department of Geography and History;
- Department of Geology;
- Department of Mathematics;
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences (departments: medicine, nursing care, dentistry);
- Department of Psychology;
- Department of Chemistry.
Cost of studying at University of Barcelona
The cost of studying at University of Barcelona depends on the program, the degree, the nationality of the student, and the number of credits required in the program. It should be mentioned that the cost of programs, even in such prestigious departments as the Department of Pharmaceutics, the Department of Medicine, or the Department of Law, are significantly lower than in many universities in Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia. To pursue a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutics at the University of Barcelona costs approximately €2,146 per year (for those who choose the admission method at a special fee, the tentative cost constitutes €8,584 per year). To study in the Bachelor's program in Medicine at University of Barcelona costs almost €2,000 per year. No doubt, one should take into account that the university’s prestige and the relatively low cost of the programs attract many potential students; therefore, competition can be high for some programs.
How to gain admittance to University of Barcelona
The admission procedure to University of Barcelona depends on different factors:
- The level of education: Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral degrees, and other courses;
- Specialization and academic program;
- Language of the program;
- Student's age (different entrance exams exist for school graduates and for those older than 25, 40, and 45 years);
- Citizenship;
- Basic education: school, university degree, incomplete university degree;
- The country in which the previous degree was obtained.
How to gain admittance to the Bachelor’s program of University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona is a state university controlled by Spanish Ministry of Education, so the procedure for admission is regulated by the state and is set in accordance with the Spanish legislative acts and the rules of admission to the state universities of Catalonia. In general, the admission procedure, which may vary depending on the student’s level of education, can be divided into three categories:
1. In order to gain admittance to University of Barcelona after secondary school graduation, the requirement for admission—the school graduation certificate—must be translated, legalized, and recognized as equivalent to Spanish educational standards. The procedure of legalization and equalization depends on the country and the system of education that issued the certificate. There are two kinds of equalization procedures: homologation and obtaining “Credencial de Acceso,” the permit for university education. Apart from the school graduation certificate, representatives of some countries also must pass the Single State Exam, “Selectividad.” Holders of the school certificates from EU member countries, from countries with signed bilateral agreements with Spain, or graduates of schools that work based on a specific educational system (including IB and EB certificates), are not required to pass this exam. Students coming from EU non-member countries that do not have any bilateral agreements with Spain, or students who do not hold EU citizenship or the Spanish residency permit, can choose an admission method at a special rate.
The School Board of the University of Barcelona annually confirms the list of the Bachelor’s programs and the number of the allocated seats for the admitted foreigners at a specific rate. Also, every year, the Board establishes a scale of cost that is considerably higher than the standard cost. By paying more, one can be admitted under the simplified procedure.
2.In order to gain admission to the University of Barcelona with the incomplete higher education, the students who were admitted to the university but did not finish the educational program are entitled to petition the recognition of the courses they have completed already. The university recognizes only the courses that are also included in the curriculum of the Spanish programs. In order to submit an application for the courses to be recognized, a student should contact the selected department and ask for information on the rules of course recognition for different programs. We recommend that students start this procedure in advance, since it is a rather long and tiresome paperwork procedure. Moreover, every department has its own admission deadlines for such petitions. The first stage of the procedure in question is the submission of application and all necessary academic documents (including the curriculum for every individual subject, academic note, official transcript, etc.). All the documents must be organized and translated according to the requirements of the university and the department. The special scientific council of the department will then study the application in more detail and announce its decision. If a decision regarding the recognition of the specific courses is positive, a student may then apply for admission. The minimum requirement is a validation of the completed courses for a minimum of 30 credit points. Such an application should be addressed to the Dean of the department. The department will then notify the student of its decision.
In order to be admitted based on the Bachelor's degree, students seeking admission are free to choose one of two options to achieve admission to the University of Barcelona. Option #1: equalization of the Bachelor’s diploma to the Spanish standards (diploma homologation). However, it should be mentioned that this procedure is rather long and might take up to 2 years. This is a great option for those who are not in a hurry to be admitted to the university. Option #2: partial recognition of the courses by the University of Barcelona. This procedure has been described in the paragraph above.
How to achieve admission to the Master's Program at the University of Barcelona
The Bachelor's degree diploma or its equivalent are the requirements for admission to the Master's program. The diploma must be legalized and translated according to the requirements of the university. There is an option of the initial application to be submitted before the official procedure of obtaining the diploma (based on the academic note or transcript). The rest of the requirements pertaining to the documents depend upon the program chosen. As a rule, the package of documents includes the letter of motivation, CV, letters of recommendation, etc.
How to gain admission to the Doctoral Program (Graduate School) of the University of Barcelona
The first thing one should do is to study the list of the doctoral programs. After that, one has to contact the department and find an academic adviser who would be interested in guiding a project of the future Ph.D. dissertation. Also, it is important to write a proposal describing the future doctoral dissertation. The requirements for the project can differ depending upon the department. For this reason, before embarking on the project, it is crucial to ask about the form of submission required.
The admission procedure to the University of Barcelona is rather complicated, but it is worth the trouble for the honor of attending the leading Spanish university.
The specialists of «Ineed» company are always ready to provide you with all the support you need throughout the process of admission to the University of Barcelona. We can help you select a program related to your individual interests, assist you in the process of admission to the universities in Spain, and consult with you concerning preparation, legalization, and translation of your documents.