Why Study In Spain?
Spain had made the main destination for international students due to its rich culture and historical heritage along with affordable living costs. There is an atmosphere of cultural and religious tolerance in Spain that has lasted for centuries. Warm weather, inviting nightlife, and a relaxed surrounding are what greets students intending to study in Spain.
Lifestyle
Spain offers an enjoyable lifestyle to students in terms of the serene lands and beautiful nature that it abounds in. daily life in Spain is slightly different from other Western industrialized countries of the 21st century. There are many traditional practices peculiar to Spain that are being observed by Spaniards even today. These include scheduling naps and meals. Business, shopping, and schools reflect a few hours of a break during the day, during which most businesses are closed.
It is advisable for students to learn more about the local traditions of Spain to help make their stay easy and enjoyable.
Social life and etiquette
One of the best things about traveling to Spain to study is the joy of discovering new customs and traditions. Spanish customs and etiquette range right from the afternoon naps, late lunches and kiss greetings. Family is one of the most important aspects of Spanish culture; no celebration would be complete without an extended gathering. The elders are respected and cared for in the family home as well as children are adored and included in everything. Again, the Spanish siesta is one of the most well-known traditions of the country. The Spaniards love for coffee, late lunches, wine and a lack of the concept of personal space is something that students will love to learn about.
Language
Spanish is the second most widely spoken mother tongue across the world. The Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education, SEPIE, has provided us with a figure of 500 million people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue worldwide, with an expected expansion to 750 million by the year 2050.
Students are advised to build their fluency in Spanish before they land in the country. Most Universities across Spain use Spanish as a medium of instruction, however, well-known universities do offer courses in English with the opportunity to learn the Spanish language alongside.
Driving laws
Some rules and regulations when driving in Spain are:
Carefully set off on the left side of the road when setting off from service stations and restaurants.
Allow more space between you and the car in front to further see the road ahead, when overtaking.
Only 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per milliliter of blood is allowed in Spain, which is stricter than in the UK.
Seat belts are obligatory everywhere.
It is best to give way to traffic when approaching a roundabout on your left unless signed otherwise.
Speed limits are frequent and implemented rigorously.
Traffic offenses are subjected to on-the-spot fines.
Major Cities with varied course options
Spain has a number of interesting and alluring places to visit, thus making it the second most visited country in the world. The major cities in Spain are Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, and Granada. There are many universities and educational institutes located throughout the country offering varied course options for students to choose from.
Universities in Spain
Spain has a large number of universities with a great international reputation and it receives a high international ranking. Most Universities prefer teaching in Spanish but there are degree programs in English as well.
Three of Europe’s top 10 business schools are located in Spain: IESE Business School, IE Business School, and Esade Business School. All three are highly reputed and ranked high for pursuing an MBA.
Students will find many friends in Spain due to the country’s vibrant and diverse student community. Hence it is an experience like no other.
The top 5 Spanish Universities that are featured within the world top 300 Universities are:
The Autonomous University of Madrid
University of Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona
Complutense University of Madrid
University of Navarra
Permanent settlement routes:
With Similar liberty as a Spanish nationalist, non-EU citizens who have been living in Spain consecutively and legally for 5 years can obtain an indefinite residence permit. The residents are issued with a permanent residency status card that is valid for 5 years and is renewable thereafter. This permits residence permit holders to live outside Spain for six months without any legal problems.
Top Institutes
After completing their secondary education students are provided with varied study options and study programs. These are available to students after completing their University Entrance Exams, which differ greatly from region to region and are regulated by the LOMLOE (Organic Law Amending the Organic Law of Education).
76 universities are located throughout Spain out of which 50 are Public Universities and the rest Private. Although universities can be found in different cities, the majority of universities are in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.
Students that pursue law or political science prefer to go to Madrid as the Universities there provide various options of study.
Higher Education Institutes:
Higher Education in Spain is continuously growing. International students are attracted to the world-class education system coupled with the low cost of tuition fees and accommodation. As compared to the previous years, the number of courses being taught in English is continuously growing; especially in marketing, tourism, journalism, economics, and communication. Also, with the country looking at a global expansion, a majority of the Masters's Degree courses are being taught in English. Most of the English taught programs to require aspiring students to have completed an IELTS with a score of 6.0 in each element.
Preparatory programs in Spain
Many universities in Spain offer a Pre-Bachelor Foundation Program for applicants 17 years and above. This program helps international students who have less than 12 years of education equalize their knowledge to the Spanish system of 12 years of schooling.
Confirmation of the level of English (IELTS) and/or Spanish (DELE) language;
High school diploma, which allows you to enter a university in your native country.
Students here can opt for a Vocational Education instead of senior classes to prepare for university entrance exams.
Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate studies in Spain:
It typically takes 4 years for students to obtain a Bachelors's Degree whereas it takes 5 years or longer for a medical and architecture degree. In the final year, students graduate with a thesis and their dissertation is defended publicly before a commission.
A Masters Degree is usually 1-2 years and equals 180 ECTS. There are two types of Masters Degrees:
A professional degree focusing on a vast amount of theory
A research degree that includes conducting laboratory experiments and research work.
A Ph.D. takes 3 years to be awarded. Here the studies are divided into two stages; the theoretical stage and the research stage, the second stage includes writing a doctoral dissertation. Although there is no time span for writing a doctoral dissertation, it is expected for students to complete this within 3-4 years on average.
Fee Range in Euros:
Tuition Fees in Spain:
In Spanish universities tuition fees are calculated based on the Pay-per Credit format that makes it variable with every credit and can enroll for the second and third time in the same course. The Spanish General Assembly for University Policy fixes the minimum and maximum fees.
Here is the approximate fees structure based on courses and universities for international students:
Public Universities
The tuition fees in public universities vary according to the degrees. They can range anywhere from 150 EUR to 3,500 EUR for Bachelors's Degree and 300 – 3,500 EUR for Masters's Degree program.
It is worth noting that each institute is free to set any tuition fee for its international students.
Private Universities
Private Universities in Spain are free to set their tuition fees according to the course. However, the tuition fees do not normally exceed 20,000 EUR per year. Some disciples like an MBA would cost students over 30,000 EUR per year
Disciplines with the lowest Tuition Fees
Listed below are the disciplines that charge the lowest tuition fees for a Bachelors Degree:
Law
Engineering
Social Science
Physics
Listed below are the disciplines that charge the lowest tuition fees for a Masters Degree:
Social Science
Humanities
Biology
Chemistry
Tuition Fees at the Top Universities in Spain
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - 1,350 – 9,000 EUR/year
Pompeu Fabra University - 1,660 – 11,575 EUR/year
University of Navarra - 8,200 – 34,300 EUR/year
Employment opportunities after completion of degree:
More often than not international students are interested in working part-time in Spain while attending an educational degree. This helps them support their education while helping them meet their living expenses. On a student visa, international students are permitted to work for 20 hours a week during term time. If the part-time work is seen to hamper studies, students will not be allowed to work at all during the term.
International students are only allowed to work in Spain during the length of the student visa. Upon expiry of the student visa, part-time employment is terminated. Henceforth, only students with a valid work permit from an employer will be allowed to work in the country.
Working in Spain after a graduation degree: It is possible for international students to look for employment in Spain after a graduate degree on a “post-study work visa” which is issued for the duration of one year. The Post Study Work Visa should be applied 60 days prior to the expiry of a student visa. However, during this one year students are not allowed to work, however, they are to use this one year to secure an employment contract, following g which they are to apply for a work permit.
There are a few pointers for international students to keep in mind when looking for a job:
It is difficult for an international student to find employment since locals prefer hiring already skilled Spaniards.
Students will need to obtain a work permit from the Spanish Consulate in the country that they are from.
It is possible for an international student to get University Internship.
In order to obtain a job speaking and understanding the Spanish language is a plus point.
