Aljawaz Your guide to study abroad Spain is a fascinating country located in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. Due to its favorable climate and convenient geographical position, Spain also offers an interesting context where any student holder of a bachelor’s degree can start and succeed professionally. There are several more reasons to pursue academics and earn a bachelor degree in Spain. Carry on reading to find out how you can complete this degree and earn the title of “grado”.
Why should you get a bachelor degree in Spain?
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Spain will certainly offer you a memorable experience, if not only for the incredible student life this country offers. In fact, Spain constantly remains among the top 5 countries international students choose to study abroad, and for good reasons! The living conditions are great thanks to the affordable tuition fees and living costs, perfect for students.
Moreover, since you’ll go there to pursue academics, you’ll certainly notice the education quality, in a place where some of the oldest operating universities are located. And this of course follows up with a high employability once you graduate. The same goes, if you plan to get a master’s or even a PhD degree in Spain or anywhere else. You don’t have to worry about the quality of the instruction you’ll receive.
There is also the Mediterranean climate and lifestyle, which will offer students an experience they won’t have anywhere else. Lastly, Spain is rich in history and culture, a country where students get to experience many outdoors activities and taste the country’s incredible cuisine.
What is a bachelor’s degree equivalent in Spain?
An undergraduate degree in Spain was formerly called a licenciatura or ingeniería, which you earn in four, five or six years. However, since the country has since 1999 adopted the European Higher Education Area system (Bologna process), the degree’s name is now a título de grado (bachelor’s degree).
Moreover, some bachelor-type degrees remain valid in Spain, such as:
- Technical engineer degree which you earn in 3 years of study
- Engineer that you earn after 5 years of study
- Technical architect that you get in 3 years
- Architect which you earn after 5 years of study.
Regardless of the name, a bachelor degree in Spain focuses on giving students a basic general outline of the subject they study. At the end, students will get enough to decide whether to enter the work market or pursue a higher qualification. To graduate, they will have to submit a thesis worth of 30 credits.
How many credits are students required to complete to receive a bachelor’s degree in Spain?
To earn a bachelor degree in Spain, students must complete 240 ECTS credit in most cases. However, if you study dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary and architecture, your bachelor’s degree is worth 300 credits. And lastly, a medical degree needs 360 ECTS credits.
In most cases, this will require 4 years of study to complete, according to the Bologna Process. This makes the Spanish higher education system more compatible with more future employability. When it comes to the degree’s structure, a bachelor’s degree in Spain is arranged as follows:
- Basic training subjects: 60 credits at least
- Mandatory and optional subjects
- External practice worth 60 credits
- End of study thesis: 30 credits
- Extracurricular activities: 6 credits
Moreover, students need to earn 60 degree per year to graduate. However, they aren’t allowed to receive more than 90 ECTS per year.
How much is a bachelor’s degree in Spain?
Spanish universities have complete freedom to regulate access to their own degrees and fix their own tuition fees. Therefore, the cost of a bachelor degree in Spain depends on several factors, including the type of institution, the number of required credits, and the location of the university. Of course, a bachelor at a private university will cost you higher than one you’ll get at a public university in Spain (and anywhere else!)
More specifically, an undergraduate degree in Spain costs around €1,200 per year for EU/EEA students. Non-EU/EEA students might have to pay a little higher fees, but it doesn’t cost beyond €3,500 per year to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Learn more by reading our guide on the living and study cost in Spain.
Application requirements at Spanish universities
We have a guide on the general requirements to apply to Spanish universities. However, it’s worth mentioning that students from the EU, from China, and those who are non-EU citizens go through different application process.
Students from the EU and China usually go through the Spanish National University for Distance Education (SNUDE) for their university application. They have then to complete their admission form online on this platform. Along with this, they need to provide a passport copy, a certified copy of their transcripts as well as a certificate of completion of their high school years. Once they get an admission confirmation, they’ll receive a “Credencial de Accesso”. This document grants them the right to proceed at their university of choice.
Application for non-EU students
Non-EU students application for an undergraduate degree starts at the Spanish embassy in their home country. There, they need to get what is called the Volante Acreditativo that they have to submit to their university of choice in Spain. This file is a proof or recognition of their school certificate. It attests that they have the necessary degree to earn admission in a Spanish university.
Along this file, they need to provide the proof that they have passed the selectividad entrance exam in Spanish universities. This exam, also known as the EBAU exam (Evaluation of the Baccalaureate for Access to University). And it consists of a system of tests evaluating if the candidates have the required academic level to enter a university in Spain.
Learn more on this subject in our guide on university admission in Spain.
Bachelor degree in Spain in English
Usually, the medium of teaching at Spanish universities is Spanish. However, a few exceptions use Catalan or Basque and even less teach in English, at the undergraduate level. It’s mostly the case of business schools, but this is not limited to this type of institutions. And for those who struggle with the Spanish language, universities in Spain offer extra lessons to help upgrade their language proficiency.
Moreover, to fit in the race for internationalization, there are more and more universities in Spain offering programs in English. Some, on the other hand, offer bilingual courses, both in Spanish and English. You can start to check that through the service in charge of international students of the university you wish to apply at.
Find out more on how to study in English in Spain in our resource on the subject.
