Spain has a high standard of university level education while some of the
most prestigious national universities can be found in Andalucia. Indeed,
the universities at Granada and Seville are widely considered to be amongst
the best in Spain.
Life at Spanish University
Studying at Spanish university will not only be an academic experience but a
cultural one as well. The Spanish have a very individual way of conducting
their higher education system and this is a direct result of the cultural style
you will experience. In order to get a good insight into life at Spanish university,
please click here to read an interesting article written by Russell Seaman,
a British student who studied in Málaga University.
Entrance Requirements
As in all countries, the Spanish education system has its levels of education
required for entrance into university but this depends largely upon what subjects
you wish to study and works along the lines of a system of points.
General requirements in Spain are the Bachillerato which is taken at school at
age 18, swiftly followed by Selectividad exams. A final mark representing points
gained for entrance to university is then calculated from the results of these two
examinations. It is composed of 60% of the Bacillerato marks, plus 40% of the
Selectividad marks to make the total points gained. Each university has a point
requirement for entrance and this will depend on the individual course and number
of students wishing to study the particular subject. Minimum points required for
entrance to university are currently 5.
If you have received secondary education outside Spain and wish to go to a Spanish
university to continue your studies, you will need to satisfy the university that
you have the equivalent level of studies and linguistic skills to enable you to go
on the course. You will also need to supply legalised and translated certificates
and related documentation. Students need to apply to the Ministry of Education and
Culture, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura: www.mec.es and go through a process of
validation, or convalidación. This is a standard procedure but can sometimes take
up to a year to complete. Apply to: Subdirección General de Títulos, Convalidaciones
y homologaciones, Servicio de Homologación de Títulos Universitarios Extranjeros.
Paseo del Prado, 28. 28012 MADRID. Tel. 91 018 500.
Accommodation
Although students may study in any chosen university in Spain, it is more common,
even today, for economic and social reasons, for students to stay in the family home
and commute to university or stay nearby during the week and go back home at weekends.
Culturally, the family is still a very important part of a young person´s life in Spain.
This makes social life limited during weekends and in the evening as students flock home to
their families. Little by little, the trend is moving towards some students venturing to other
parts of the country, but it is by no means a rule. To find out more about accommodation while
studying in an Andalucian university, please click here
and read Rachel Burns's first-hand account.
