Higher
education in Spain has its origins in the middle Ages. The University of
Salamanca, founded in 1218, is the first University established in Spain.
Obviously, history has changed the way the system has worked, and the current
system derives from the French model of the 19th century.
However, Spanish Universities have recently gone through important changes that have led to a self-governing and decentralized system. In addition, the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is forcing Spanish universities to converge into one common system compatible with all European Universities.
However, Spanish Universities have recently gone through important changes that have led to a self-governing and decentralized system. In addition, the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is forcing Spanish universities to converge into one common system compatible with all European Universities.
The
educational policy is controlled by the Ministry of Education together with the
departments of higher education in the universities. Within this framework, the
Consejo de Universidades outlines the requirements to create new universities,
centers and institutes. In addition, it helps regulating advanced graduate
studies.
Within the higher education level, Spain has public and private Universities. Universities are organized in Schools (Facultades), and within each School there are different Departments, which specialize in a specific part of the corresponding science. Currently, the Spanish university system comprises 49 public universities, 14 private ones, and 4 Catholic Church universities.
Within the higher education level, Spain has public and private Universities. Universities are organized in Schools (Facultades), and within each School there are different Departments, which specialize in a specific part of the corresponding science. Currently, the Spanish university system comprises 49 public universities, 14 private ones, and 4 Catholic Church universities.
Regarding
its content, the Spanish university system displays an equilibrium between
scientific disciplines included in the social sciences and humanities (History,
Economics, Literature, Philosophy, etc.), and the pure sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc). Likewise, within the different Universities
we may find scientific disciplines specifically applied to the society. An
adequate equilibrium between theory and practice is carefully achieved in
disciplines like Architecture, Medicine or Law.
Also,
it is becoming very common to see Universities that offer a higher university
degree which interlaces academic contents from several scientific disciplines
(economics and law, business and Tourism, Languages and Marketing etc). This
option generates professionals with a very high level of training, who are very
sought after by national and international companies.
History: The first settlers on
the Peninsula were the Celts and the Iberians. It is said that Hispania (the
name the Romans used to describe the Peninsula) is a word of Semitic origin
from Hispalis (Seville).In the 15th century, during the reign of the Catholic
King and Queen and under their auspice, Columbus discovered the New Continent
(America), new boundary of what would be the largest Western empire. The 16th
century represents the zenith of Spanish hegemony in the world, a process that
would last until the middle of the 17th century.
The Courts of Cadiz thereby enacted one of the first
Constitutions of the world which ratified that sovereignty would reside in the
nation. The conflict between liberalists and absolutists, or in other
words, between two different ways of perceiving the establishment of the state, would be one of the longest Spanish
conflicts throughout the 19th century.
Despite the interruption of the First World War in which Spain
remained neutral and following the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, the
monarchical crisis returns, resulting in the exile of King Alfonso XIII. The
ballot box is introduced into Spain and with it the first democratic experience
of the 20th century: the second Republic, a brief attempt to introduce the
reformations the country needed, frustrated by General Franco's military rising
and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936. The military victory of General
Franco gave way to a long dictatorial period that would last until 1975; it was
an era characterised by an iron control of interior politics and isolation from
the international environment, which did not however prevent an incipient
economic development in the sixties. Following the death of General Franco, the
Spanish people peacefully made the transition from dictatorship to democracy in
a process known as 'the Spanish model'. Don Juan Carlos I, as King of the
Spanish people, became the chief of a social and democratic state of law, which
moulded the Constitution of 1978.
Full Country Name: Kingdom of Spain
Surface Area: 504,784 squared km.
Capital: Madrid
Regions: Spain is divided into
17 autonomous communities.
Time zone: GMT/UTC + 1 hour in
winter or two in summer (from last Sunday of March to last Saturday of
September)
Religion: 94% Catholic
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz.
Weights and
measurements: Metric System.
Telephone dialing: From Spain: 00 +
country code + city code + phone number.
Population: 40,448,191 (July 2007
est.)
Age Structure:
·
0-14 years: 14.4%
·
15-64 years: 67.8%
·
65 years and over: 17.8%
Median age:
·
total: 40.3 years
·
male: 39 years
·
female: 41.7 years (2007 est.)
Sex ratio: total population:
0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Life expectancy:
·
total population: 79.78 years
·
male: 76.46 years
·
female: 83.32 years (2007 est.)
Languages: Castilian Spanish
(official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
National holiday: National Day, 12
October (1492); year when Columbus first set foot in the Americas
Constitution: approved by
legislature 31 October 1978; passed by referendum 6 December 1978, effective 29
December 1978
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
universal
Source: CIA The World Factbook
Living
Cost in Spain
It is quite difficult to give anything more
than a rough guide to the cost of living in Spain. Prices vary greatly by area,
with the cost of living much higher in the urban centers such as Madrid,
Valencia and Barcelona than in the rural Spanish villages and towns.
In the Spanish urban centers, the price of housing is high
relative to the other costs of living. Spaniards who did not buy housing when
prices were lower now find it necessary to pay more than half the average
income to get average housing, which is a very high percentage. On the other
hand, a good cup of café con leches can be had in many cafes in Spain for an
Euro or less, and the cost of fruit and vegetables can be a bargain. As a
consequence, many Spaniards in the big Spanish cities live packed into quite
small apartments and observe a social life centered in cafes and restaurants
rather than their homes.
Since the introduction of the Euro, there has been a perceived
inflation in prices in Spain. With the conversion, some prices were rounded up
to the nearest Euro equivalent, with more increases coming in time.
With all those caveats, here are some very rough costs for you
that can be used for gauging the cost of living.
Electricity: For two people bills are
around 30 to 35 euros per month.
Telephone: Flat-fee of about 20
euros per month with the calls that you make on top of that.
Food: For two people bills are
generally 300 Euros a month. An average restaurant bill is eight to fifteen
Euros (much cheaper at lunch), with a glass of beer or wine one to two Euros.
Cinema: Around five to six Euros
to see a movie.
Nursery: To look after a child it
is about eighty Euros per month for 5hrs a day, but the price will vary
depending on the qualifications of the caretaker.
Schooling: Public schools in Spain
are often Catholic parochial schools supported by the state. Charges are
nominal.
Application deadlines
in Spain
Although application
deadlines may vary depending on the institution, there are usually 3 intakes
for studies at Spanish universities and colleges:
·
First week of June: for studies beginning in the fall semester
(October).
·
First week of September: late applications for studies beginning in
the fall semester (October).
·
First week of December: for studies beginning in the spring semester
(February).
Spanish Universities and Colleges with link to their respective
websites:
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