Welcome information

 

Admission and visa letter

Once you are admitted and you have reserved your place in the program, you will receive an official admission letter from the Admissions Office. Those of you who are from countries outside the European Union will receive, as well, a letter for the Spanish embassy necessary to get your student visa.

 

Welcome letter

In June, all of you who have been admitted during the first and second period of applications will receive an e-mail from the Office of the Department of Political and Social Sciences enclosing a welcome letter with details about our Department and useful information concerning the start of the course. Students admitted during the third and fourth period of applications will receive the letter in July.

Apart from this letter, we advise you to check the Practical information. We are at your disposal if you have any question or doubt: [email protected].

 

Preparations for your stay in Barcelona

UPF runs a very useful website that can help you prepare your stay in Barcelona for the academic year. It contains information about housing, health coverage, university life, legal formalities for foreigners, etc.

If you still have doubts, you can contact the University's Welcome and Mobility Office.

 

Language landing program

The University Pompeu Fabra has a language service called UPF Languages. They run a Spanish landing program during the first fortnight of September and they offer more extensive courses throughout the academic year.

More information: http://www.upf.edu/spanishprogram/

 

Library welcome session

The UPF CRAI (Learning and Research Resources Center) organise a welcome session for our students so you can learn about how the library is organised, the services you can use (including the IT service), how to use the intranet Campus Global (an essential tool to study at UPF), etc. This welcome session usually takes place during the first or second day of class, in the morning. The date and time will be announced by e-mail to all students so you can register for the session.

 

Welcome cocktail

A few days after the start of the classes, usually during the first fortnight of October, the Department of Political and Social Sciences organises a welcome cocktail for all Master and PhD students. The objective is that you have the opportunity of mingling with the faculty of the Department, your fellow master's and PhD students and the administrative support staff. The date and time will be announced by e-mail to all students.

 

Tutorial System

 

Initial tutorial session

There are two kinds of initial tutorial sessions. First, there is a general session (mid-September) directed to all new students, and that is meant to explain the logic of the program, its content and requirements. This session deals both with academic and administrative issues. Students will be given useful materials and tips about the functioning of the University as well. The session will be coordinated by the Director of the program ([email protected]) and a member of the administrative staff ([email protected]).

Second, the Director of the Program will be promptly available to those newcomers who are seeking individual tutorials. For individual tutorials send an email to [email protected].

 

Regular class tutorials

As a matter of principle, for all MA classes supervisions provide an excellent opportunity to get feedback on your written and non-written work. Each professor will tell you her office hours and how to arrange a tutorial meeting. You are strongly encouraged to ask for, prepare and use tutorials in the most beneficial and efficient way possible for your own academic development. Furthermore, students have the right to at least one specific tutorial session regarding the essay topic.

If you find that you cannot attend a supervision which has been arranged, or if you know that you will be late, then you should inform your supervisor of this as early as possible.

 

MA Thesis Tutorials

As a general rule, students will be designated supervisors soon after the "Research and Thesis Seminar" (end of March/early April). Students will have the right to a minimum of three tutorial sessions. The last tutorial session will take place after the student hands in the final draft and before handing in the thesis. 

Students are to send their materials in time and prepare properly the tutorial sessions. If reading materials are sent in too late or after the deadline, professors are under no obligation to provide feed-back.

If you find that you cannot attend a supervision which has been arranged, or if you know that you will be late, then you should inform your supervisor of this as early as possible.

 

If things go wrong

If you are having difficulty with supervisions, it is always best to try and discuss this with your supervisor in the first instance. It is generally easier to solve problems when they arise; otherwise they may become major obstacles to your progress.

Students should see Directors of Studies if they have persistent problems with their supervisor. It may be possible to change the supervisor. The decision will be taken upon consulting the MA Commission.

If you fall behind with your work or fail to perform to a satisfactory standard you may find that your supervisor will automatically contact your Directors of Studies (e.g. if you submit work late, cancel supervisions without good reason, fail to appear).

Whatever your problems or concerns, the Director of Studies will always be ready to talk things through with you.

 

"Preparing for the future" tutorial

Each year in November we organize a tutorial session "Future Prospects in the Academic Market" dedicated to post-MA strategies for pursuing a career or finding a job related to academia.