By means of Royal Decree 1393/2007 of 29 October, the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia developed the structure of official university teachings, and it did so under the premises of the European Higher Education Area, which establishes three types of course leading to the corresponding official qualifications: bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctorate.
The European Higher Education Area standardises the length of the courses, the teaching methods and the assessment of academic activities with an eye to encouraging student and graduate mobility, and thus enables a system of credit transfer recognition.
Undergraduate studies
Undergraduate studies aim for students to gain general training focusing on preparing for professional life.
Bachelor's degrees consist of 240 ECTS credits, which are the equivalent of a minimum study period of four years.
The official qualification awarded upon passing these courses is that of graduate.
All bachelor's degrees belong to one of the following branches of knowledge: the arts and humanities, the sciences, health sciences, social and legal sciences, engineering and architecture.
Pertaining to one branch or another shall determine the basic subjects that are to be taken during the first two years of the degree.
Bachelor's degree syllabuses contain at least the following training activities: basic subjects, compulsory and optional subjects, internships and an end-of-degree project or dissertation.
The Generalitat (Government) Catalonia has wished to place special emphasis on the fact that all bachelor's degree syllabuses taught by the universities of Catalonia should include internships in enterprise or institutions and, also, subjects that ensure knowledge of the English language.
Master's degree studies
Master's degree studies aim for students to acquire either specialised or multidisciplinary advanced training focusing on academic or professional specialisation, or to promote an introduction to research tasks. The syllabuses have a load of between 60 and 120 credits and include both theoretical and practical training.
Doctoral studies
Doctoral studies aim to provide students with advanced training in research techniques and include the writing and presentation of a doctoral thesis, consisting of an original research paper.