Official university master’s degrees are based on advanced specialised or multidisciplinary training that is designed to equip students, who can go on to pursue a doctoral degree, with skills for research and professional practice. In contrast, continuing education master’s degrees are geared towards professional development. On professional master’s degrees, the structure of the course is adapted to students’ needs and timetables. Another difference is that the fees for master’s degrees are public and subsidised, but students must bear the full cost of continuing education master’s degrees. Further information.

In the framework of degrees adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), competencies for professional practice are acquired, in some cases, on bachelor’s degrees and, in others, on master’s degrees. In the latter case, the UPC has designed integrated academic programmes comprising a UPC bachelor’s degree and a UPC master’s degree that qualify for the practice of regulated professions: graduates of the bachelor’s degree are given direct access and preferential admission to the qualifying master’s degree.

The general pre-enrolment dates in the UPC’s academic calendar are, for the autumn semester, from the first week in January until the middle of July and, for the spring semester, from the first week in October until the first week in December. Within these dates, the school or university research institute may establish its own pre-enrolment periods.

No. It is enough for you to have a degree awarded by a university in a country that does not belong to the EHEA, and this degree does not need to be homologated. If the degree has not been homologated, the UPC will verify that the course of study corresponds to a level of education equivalent to an official Spanish university degree and that the degree would make you eligible for admission to a master’s degree in the country in which it was awarded. This entrance route in no way implies the homologation of the degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to the master’s degree. The master’s degree will, however, be fully and legally valid.

The body in charge of the master’s degree will issue a decision on applications for recognition. Submit your application to the unit responsible for the programme with the following documents:

• The personal academic transcript (the original or a certified photocopy) that certifies the course of study for which you are seeking recognition (only in the case of degrees not taken at the UPC).
• The academic programme followed, including detailed information on the content of the subjects taken, as published by the corresponding school (only in the case of degrees not taken at the UPC).
• Proof that the recognition review fee has been paid.

Fees for master’s degrees and all other official university degrees are public and determined by the Government of Catalonia within the limits that exist in Spain. The UPC establishes its fees for university master’s degrees based on the fees set in the Catalan government’s Decree. Per-credit fees for non-resident foreign students who are non-European Union students (non‐EU residents) are €43,23 for the qualifiying master's degree and €69.17 for the NON-qualifying master's degree.

Compulsory administrative fees for the handling of the academic record and learning support services must be added. According to the type of enrolment (yearly or semestral), these fees are between €140 and €180 per academic year. Fees for issuing and delivering the degree certificate of approximately €250 are also added.

Yes. If you are pre-enrolling for more than one programme, you will have to pay €30,21 for each programme. These amounts are non-refundable. You can make changes to your application up to the moment you pay the fee.

UPC bachelor’s degree students who have not yet been awarded the bachelor’s degree and have yet to complete the bachelor’s thesis and up to 9 ECTS credits (including credits pending recognition or transfer) or who have finished the bachelor’s degree but have yet to attain the cross-disciplinary foreign language competency, if applicable, are eligible for admission to master’s degrees. Under no circumstances will students who are admitted via this route be awarded the master’s degree before being awarded the bachelor’s degree. The school responsible for the degree may establish additional conditions regarding pending credits or decide not to allow admission via this route.

The elements to be considered include the weighting of candidates’ academic records and the prioritising, in first place, of students in possession of the university degree that qualifies for admission to the master’s degree. As part of the selection process, candidates may also be required to complete an entrance examination or to provide information on specific merits related to the degree for which they are applying. The school or university research institute must determine and publish the weighting assigned to each of these criteria for the purposes of determining the order in which successful candidates are admitted to the master’s degree. If students disagree with the decision, they may appeal to the school or university research institute in charge of the degree and, if necessary, lodge an appeal with the rector.

Once payment has been confirmed, the system generates an admission confirmation (letter of acceptance), with which students from outside the EU can begin the procedure for applying for the visa that will cover their stay in the country while they are taking the master’s degree.

The language requirements for admission to master’s degrees are decided by the master’s degree coordinators. Check in each case. If you have to certify your language skills, contact the Language and Terminology Service

As a master’s degree student, you can only apply for those Ministry of Education grants that you are eligible for because of your income and your academic performance. These grants will at the very least cover credits enrolled for the first time. You can apply for other grants depending on your income. Consult the information on this and other types of grants on the Academic Management Service website.