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, double 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 study period of four years.Eventually some bachelor's degrees consist of 180 or 360 ECTS credits, that it means that they are equivalent a study period of three years, 180 ECTS (Global Studies) or six years, 360 ECTS (Medicine).
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 of 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.
Which is the difference between a simultaneous study and a double degree?
The basic difference is the access to each modality.
The double degree has a direct access from the first year.
If you want to do simultaneous studies, for example, the degree in Law and the degree in Political and Administration Sciences, you should enter university by one of the two degrees, and, once inside, ask to pursue the second degree. Access to this option will depend on the number of places are offered each year and the university student's transcript.
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.