Join a Master's degree in Spain
In Spain, Master's degrees generally last 1 year and are awarded 60 ECTS per year.
Why study for a Master's degree at 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 obtained your bachelor's degree in Spain and would like to continue and complete your training there.
You’ll be able to add to your knowledge and enhance your professional skills.
Doing a Master’s degree in Spain also means choosing a specialism that you may not find in your own country. For example, if you want to specialise in a sector in which Spain is at the cutting edge, training in Spain will give you better skills.
This could also be the case for courses in the health field, for which you have Masters degrees in Spain with many hours of practice on patients.
Finally, it could be a personal or professional project. Joining a Master’s programme will give you the contacts you need to find a job more easily in Spain. If you want to work in Spain, there’s nothing like a Master’s degree to help you integrate, create the network you’ll need and familiarise yourself with Spanish working habits and customs.
Questions / Answers Master's degree in Spain
You will be required to have at least a B2 level of Spanish. In some cases, you will need to provide proof of this level through official certification. Generally speaking, you need to have a good command of Spanish to apply for a master’s degree in Spain.
Yes, some Master’s courses in Spain are offered 100% in English. These English-language degrees are often offered in the business field.
Admission criteria may vary.
Generally speaking, access to an official master’s degree in Spain will follow a selection process during which your application will be assessed and often compared with other applications.
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 applying for is only accessible with a prerequisite of 240 ECTS whose content is related to the master’s degree you wish to apply for.
- Provide official documents attesting to your degree. You will often be asked to have these translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (CAUTION: find out the rates before taking any steps, as a sworn translation can be expensive!)
- Speak Spanish: level B2 or higher. Official certification such as SIELE or DELE is welcome but not always compulsory.
- Follow the admissions process for the desired Master’s degree, which generally includes an interview and sometimes knowledge tests on the subject.
- Have a valid identity document.
Please note: it may be difficult to gain access to some official masters courses if the programme requires a minimum of 240 ECTS credits for entry.
In the case of masters in the field of health, access is much clearer. You need to be in possession of the diploma for the profession in question to be able 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 when it comes to deciding on admission to a Master’s degree, even if it is officially recognised by the Spanish State.
To find out whether you are eligible for an official Master’s degree in Spain, your application will be examined on an individual basis.
In Spain, as in most European countries, higher education establishments are free to decide whether or not to admit you to a Master’s programme.
If a university is interested in your profile, they will admit you; if they are not interested in your application, they will not admit you.
Universities do not have to justify their decision, and in most cases will not do so.
You will often not know their decision until the summer before you start your course, so we advise you to have a plan B in case the decision is negative.
You will incur costs, which can be substantial (in particular to provide sworn translations of the study programmes you have already completed in your own country or elsewhere in Europe). Be aware before you incur these costs that you may end up being refused access to the official Master’s programme.
Once you have registered on our website, contact us so that we can find out which Master’s degree you would like to apply for and inform you of the application procedures.
In certain non-regulated fields of study, it may be worthwhile doing a Master’s degree, even if it is not official. In Spain, these are called ‘titulo propio’.
This is the case in the field of business, for example, where it is not so much the official nature of the Master’s that is fundamental, but the content of the programme and the network that is created are of interest. A Master’s in Business in Spain enables you to create an international network that can be essential for certain careers.
The public authorities have not yet been able, able or willing to standardise these Masters programmes, which are nevertheless of real interest and offer real benefits to those who choose them.
No, you can find off-the-shelf and ‘propios’ masters courses in a variety of public and private establishments. To avoid making the wrong choice, we advise you to opt for renowned universities (public or private) or business schools to do a master’s degree in Spain. We have many years’ experience in the sector and can advise you on this point too.
As specified in the general terms and conditions, FEEDUC does not offer support for Masters courses at public universities in Spain (results uncertain and late).