Eleven master's programmes at UPF have received the International Master's Programme (IMP) award, among 59 other master's degrees at Catalan universities distinguished with this recognition. The Government of Catalonia's Universities and Research Secretary aims to boost the internationalisation of these studies.

Some of the criteria applied in order to obtain this distinction are the languages used in the master's programme, the teaching staff's achievements, work placement and placement on doctoral programmes. Other requirements included a minimum duration of two academic years, and a minimum number of 20 students registered, of whom a 30% must be foreign.

The eleven masters programmes with the IMP distinction are the following: master's degree in Criminology and the Criminal Justice System, Research in Political Science, Public Health, Legal Sciences, Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Research in Sociology and Demography and Political Philosophy. Both master's degree in Economics and Finance and in Specialized Economics Analysis from GSE, the master's degree programme in Public and Social Policies from UPF-IDEC and the master's degree in International Relations from IBEI have also been obtained the distinction.

Lluís Jofre, the Government of Catalonia's General Director of Universities, emphasised the high level of internationalisation in Catalonia's university system, as 30% of the students on master's programmes and 40% of those on doctoral programmes are foreign. This commitment to "the internationalization and promotion of international competitiveness will in the Catalan university system will highlight the master's programmes with the most outstanding international dimension being taught at our universities."