Structure of university courses prior to the EHEA

University courses prior to the implementation of the European Higher Education Area are cyclical in structure and each one has an overall credit load. A credit is equal to 10 teaching hours.

1st cycle courses
Successful completion of these courses will lead to the following qualifications: graduate of a three-year degree course, graduate of a three-year teaching degree, architectural technologist or engineering technologist. Their global credit load, spread over the three years, may not be less than 180 credits. 1st cycle courses enable admission to 2nd cycle courses, in accordance with the regulations that define the relationship between 1st cycle courses and 2nd cycle courses in each case and whether or not additional courses have to be taken.

1st and 2nd cycle courses
Successful completion of these courses leads to qualification as a graduate (llicenciat), architect or engineer. Their global credit load may not be less than 300 credits, spread over 4 or 5 academic years, except courses for which there are community directives stipulating other criteria. Successful completion of the first cycle of these courses does not result in official qualifications, but it may be valid for admission to other 2nd cycle courses. Successful completion of 1st and 2nd cycle courses gives students the right to be admitted to 3rd cycle courses (doctorates).

2nd cycle courses
Admission is achieved by having passed a first cycle course or by being a graduate of a three-year degree course, graduate of a three-year teaching degree, an architectural technologist or engineering technologist, provided that these courses meet second cycle admission requirements. The universities themselves regulate admission to 2nd cycle qualifications. Successful completion of these courses entitles students to qualification as a graduate, architect or engineer. Their global credit load may not be less than 120 credits, spread over two academic years. Successful completion of 2nd cycle courses entitles students to be admitted to third cycle courses.

3rd cycle courses
Third cycle courses are called doctorate programmes. Their overall minimum credit load is 32 credits and they are the requirement to obtain a PhD.
To be admitted to this cycle students must have a four- or five-year degree, a four- or five-year architecture degree or a four- or five-year engineering degree.
The Doctorate Commission of each university is the competent admissions body for doctorate programmes.

Officially regulated and approved qualifications
These are official courses and are valid throughout Spain. Royal Decree 1497/1987, of 27 November, subsequently modified by Royal Decree 1267/1994, of 10 June, establishes the common general guidelines for official university syllabuses.

University-specific qualifications
These are non-official qualifications, which are only recognised by the university that offers them. As these courses have the same structure as official courses there are 1st cycle, 1st and 2nd cycle and 2nd cycle qualifications. The universities regulate admission to these courses and establish their own fees.