Structure of the studies

At the moment, university studies are structured in cycles, depending on how long they last, and theyare ordered by study areas, depending on their nature. With the process of adapting to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the university cycles, qualifications and the credits system will change so that they converge with all the other countries.

The cycles, in university studies, are the following:

1st cycle studies

They are studies for obtaining the qualifications of diploma holder, teacher, technical architect and technical engineer. Access to these studies is through university pre-registration.
The overall workload is divided into 3 academic years with a minimum of 180 credits (one credit is equivalent to 10 teaching hours). First cycle studies allow access to second cycle studies, in accordance with the regulations envisaged for each case, which define the link of the first cycle with other second cycle studies and establish whether or not it is necessary to carry out complementary training.

1st and 2nd cycle studies

Passing these studies gives you the right to be given the qualification of a licentiate degree holder, architect or engineer. Access is through university pre-registration.
The overall workload, divided into 4 or 5 academic years, has a minimum of 300 credits (one credit is equivalent to 10 teaching hours), except in the case of studies for which there are community directives which establish other criteria.
Passing the first cycle of these studies does not earn any official qualification, however, it may be valid for being included in other 2nd cycle studies. Passing 1st and 2nd cycle studies gives you the right to access 3rd cycle studies (doctorate).

2nd cycle studies

Passing these studies gives you the right to obtain the qualification of licentiate degree holder, or engineer.
The overall workload, which lasts 2 academic years, has a minimum of 120 credits (one credit is equivalent to 10 teaching hours).
Access is through a university 1st cycle, or being a diploma holder, technical architect, technical engineer or teacher, as long as these studies adjust to the access regulations for each of the second cycles. This regulation states which 1st cycle studies are required to access a specific 2nd cycle study course, and also whether or not it is necessary to do any complementary training.
Each university establishes mechanisms for regulating access to these 2nd cycle qualifications. They allow you to access 3rd cycle (doctorate) cycles.

3rd cycle studies

To access them, you need to hold a licentiate degree or a degree in architecture of engineering.
These are the so-called doctorate programmes. They have a minimum workload of 32 credits and are a necessary requirement to be able to access the official qualification of doctor, as well as to defend your thesis before a jury.
Each university's Doctorate Committee is the relevant body for admitting doctorate students.

In the EHEA, the studies will be organised into two cycles:

Degree studies

These will have a notably professional slant to integrate training in generic and specific areas concerning the area of knowledge. Their workload will be 180 to 240 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System). If these are passed, you will be awarded a degree.

Postgraduate studies

To get a master's degree, you will have to pass between 60 and 120 ECTS credits.
To get a doctorate, you will have to have studied 300 ECTS credits between your degree and postgraduate degree.
For further information, please consult the European Area of Knowledge website.

Study areas

• The Sciences Area
  This covers the studies of the earth, mathematics, cosmos and life, and includes all the disciplines related to mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry and geology.
• The Health Sciences Area
  The object of these studies is the prevention, rehabilitation and research into remedies for illnesses and pathologies that affect human and animal bodies with the aim of obtaining an optimum level of health.
• The Social Sciences and Sports Area
  To study social phenomena from different perspectives that affect the development of society as a set of people towards the relations and needs which, due to its development, are derived, as well as the knowledge of the techniques and skills for practising sport and managing the activities it involves.
• The Humanities Area
  This covers the study of the process of the development of culture and civilisation of human beings in the medium in which they are found, together with looking in depth at the language and development of thought and ethics.
• The Technical Area
  This is the set of subjects that refers to the functioning of technique and technology towards the evolution and scientific development of society.

The type of subject areas

Universities studies have a set of subjects that can be core, compulsory, optional or free electives. Each qualification specifies the minimum subjects of each kind that must be taken.

• Core subjects
  These are the ones that are set by the general directives and are common to all the teaching leading to the same qualification being awarded at diverse universities. They must all be studied.
• Compulsory studies
  These must be studies by the student and are decided on by each university. They must all be studied.
• Optional studies
  These are decided by each university. For each teaching area, different optional subjects are offered and students choose them, freely, to obtain the number of optional subjects determined for the qualification for which they have registered.
• Free elective subjects
  These are the ones the student chooses. They can be studied at the university where you are registered or at any other centre of the same university. They can also be studied at companies with which there are collaboration programmes, at other universities with which an agreement has been signed or at universities in other countries.
• Thesis
  Some study plans include a project or thesis to be done at the end of the university studies, which must be passed to get the qualification.

The credits

Last update: 09/11/2006 Reviewed: 09/11/2006

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