Article 1. Definition and objectives

1.1 The Hispanic and European Studies Programme (HESP) is a special programme for foreign students within the UPF Study Abroad Program. Its specificity is a complement to the permanent UPF regular courses.

1.2 The objective of the HESP is to make foreign students aware of the plural nature of Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain, from a European perspective, providing criteria for analysis and the foundations for understanding the cultures and societies of Spain, Catalonia and Europe, and the relationships between them.

1.3. The HESP is based on the study of subjects with university level content, level and formats, which can be officially recognised at home universities. These courses are complemented with language courses.

Article 2. Academic structure

2.1 The HESP will have an academic management, which will be responsible for preparing and co-ordinating the HESP courses, the teaching by lecturers and monitoring students. The academic director will be appointed by the rector from among the UPF full-time teaching staff, and will receive a salary complement equivalent to that of vice-dean.

2.2 In order to meet the specific needs of the Language Courses, the HESP will have a course co-ordinator who will assist the academic director of the programme.

2.3 The Commission for the Study Abroad Programme created by the Agreement of the Board of Governors on 8 April 2003 will be responsible for approving the academic courses on offer and monitoring the HESP.

Article 3. Entry requirements

3.1 HESP students must be registered at an accredited university or higher education institution or be in possession of a university qualification equivalent to a degree.

3.2 To gain admission to the HESP subjects taught in Spanish, students must take a level test or provide accreditation of a sufficient level in the language according to the requirements established for each subject, enabling them to guarantee that they can follow and make the most of the course. The test will take place the week before the start of the courses (intensive and regular), at a single sitting. If for justified reasons the student is unable to attend the level test, he/she will be assigned to an approximate level and will be subject to change during the first week of classes.

Article 4. Calendar

4.1 HESP courses are approximately 12 weeks in duration, with a total of 6 credits, equivalent to 45 hours of face-to-face lessons and an academic weight not strictly related to teaching - sessions outside the classroom, essays to be handed in to the lecturer, seminar type sessions, etc. - equivalent to 105 hours.

4.2 The HESP courses take place over two semesters: one in the autumn and one in the spring. Depending on demand, the HESP academic range may be complemented by a Summer School of 6 weeks' duration, which includes a language course and a predetermined number of content courses.

4.3 The autumn and spring courses are preceded by an intensive language course of 3 weeks' duration, with a total of 45 teaching hours.

Article 5. Course types and qualifications

5.1 The HESP offers two basic course types:

- The Hispanic and European Studies Certificate. This lasts one semester, and it is necessary to take at least 30 ECTS credits in the Programme - 10 language credits and at least 10 HESP credits, which may be complemented by subjects from the standard UPF range.

- The Hispanic and European Studies Diploma. This lasts one academic year, and it is necessary to take at least 60 ECTS credits in the Programme - 20 language credits and at least 20 HESP credits, which may be complemented by subjects from the standard UPF range.

5.2 The grade transcript given to students will show the subjects taken and the language level achieved, according to the UPF grade scale.

5.3 Students from universities or institutions that have signed an agreement regulating access to the HESP courses may take other subjects.

5.4. Visiting students registering for the HESP must take the complete programme of the Certificate or Diploma in Hispanic and European Studies. http://www.upf.edu/sgen/normativa/propia/apar6/estudishi.htm - inici

Article 6. Establishing the courses offered

6.1 The HESP range of courses is taught on an inter-faculty basis, as the subjects are related to the Catalan and Spanish culture and languages considered from a European perspective. Courses are included based on the criteria of specificity and complementarity mentioned in article 1.

6.2 The HESP range of courses and its calendar will be approved at least 12 weeks before the beginning of the course. The timetables will be established at least 8 weeks before the course starts.

6.3 The annual range of courses of the Hispanic and European Studies Programme is approved by the Commission for the Study Abroad Programme, after the proposal by the academic management of the HESP, after listening to the deans and centre and department directors, or their own proposal.

6.4 The HESP academic management is responsible for preparing the HESP range of courses. There will be an annual call to that end for all members of the UPF teaching and research staff, for proposals for subjects within the teaching areas of interest agreed upon previously with the International Relations Service.

The call will include the requirements for presenting proposals as well as the teaching areas of interest that will be prioritised in the next academic year.

The academic management of the HESP will notify the respective deans and centre and department directors of the proposals, for their information.

6.5 The HESP academic management will present the proposals meeting these requirements to the Commission for the Study Abroad Programme, accompanied by a duly justified assessment report on the advisability or otherwise of including each of the subjects proposed.

The suitability of the subjects proposed to the subject profiles of the teaching areas of interest will be a priority criterion for approval. When there are many proposals, the selection criteria will be determined by assessment of the teaching staff teaching the course, the proposed assessment on the program, its teaching in previous years and the level of demand.

The HESP academic management will notify those making the proposal in writing as to whether their proposals have been approved.

6.6 The proposals approved by the Commission for the Study Abroad Programme will be included in the courses offered by the HESP in the academic year after that sitting.

6.7 The HESP academic management and members of the Commission for the Study Abroad Programme will maintain the due confidentiality concerning the proposals received, whether or not these are included in the courses offered on the HESP, and undertake not to make any use thereof without the written consent of the signatory.

6.8 Prior authorisation from the academic management of the HESP will be required for any change in the courses approved as part of the HESP (programme, teaching language, calendar, timetables and prior requirements).

Article 7. Minimum number of students

7.1 The culture subject courses will be opened subject to a minimum number of students - around 10 - registering for the course.

7.2 Subjects with pre-registration numbers lower than 10 will be opened after authorisation from the vice-rector responsible for International Relations, after a proposal by the academic management of the HESP to the end. The possibility of offering the course as "Independent Study" will only be considered in this case.

7.3 The maximum number of students per class in the culture subjects is 35. After this figure has been reached, the classes will be divided into two groups.

7.4 The minimum number of students per class in language subjects is around 5.http://www.upf.edu/sgen/normativa/propia/apar6/estudishi.htm - inici

7.5 The maximum number of students per class in the language subjects is 15. After this figure has been reached, the classes will be divided into two groups.

Article 8. Registration

8.1 A pre-registration period will begin, in which foreign universities and institutions with which an agreement has been signed must provide a provisional list with the details of students and the list of the subjects for which they wish to register.

8.2 To be accepted, the-pre registration form must be signed by the student and his/her academic tutor.

8.3 The registration period and procedures for HESP courses will be announced on the UPF website with sufficient notice and conclude at the end of the first week of HESP classes.

8.4 The conditions of total or partial loss of registration and the academic consequences of leaving the course will be made clear in the agreements to be signed with foreign universities and institutions. Opportunities to change class in the first week of the course will also be made clear.

Article 9. Assessment

9.1 Assessment of the knowledge acquired on the HESP will take place at a single sitting. The final mark will be the result of continuing assessment throughout the course, including assessment at the midpoint of the semester.

9.2 The marks will be published on the Campus Global within seven calendar days of the final tests.

9.3 If a student is unable to attend the exam review in person, he/she will have seven days to notify the lecturer responsible for the subject concerning his or her comments after the deadline for publication of the marks on the Campus Global.

9.4 In the event of disagreement, the student may formulate his/her duly justified arguments in writing and send them to the academic management of the HESP through his or her academic tutor or director of his or her university, within 15 days of the deadline for publication of the marks on the Campus Global. In these cases, a tribunal appointed by the academic director of the HESP will be created, which will also include two lecturers from the Program that he/she designates, which will review the work and grades. Before giving its decision, the tribunal must listen to the lecturer responsible for the subject. The board will rule on applications for grade reviews within 10 days of the application being presented, and this ruling will exhaust administrative procedures. Any issues not covered by these regulations will be covered by the UPF regulations concerning reviews of examinations.

9.5 The certificate with final grades will be sent by post to the postal address provided either by the home university or institution, or by the student.

9.6 The certificate will be issued in English and Spanish and will have the official format established by the competent bodies of UPF.

Article 10. Teaching staff

10.1 The teaching staff teaching the HESP courses will mostly be from the UPF, although external teaching staff may also be recruited and paid for by the Programme.

10.2 The maximum number of courses that a UPF full-time lecturer can teach at the HESP is three (135 hours).