Let’s talk about studying in Spain for Russians. The system of higher education in Spain is built according to the Bologna process. This means that education in Spain and in Russia can be compared by programs and hours. That is, Russian students have the opportunity to enroll in Spanish universities after school, transfer, or enroll in a master’s program, graduate school or business school.
But nevertheless, there is no free education in Spain as such. Even in public universities you will have to pay tuition. The cost depends on the prestige of the university, the region and the specific specialty chosen. But there is an opportunity to get into a scholarship program and cover the cost of education with the scholarship received.
Studying in Spain for Russians after school
To enter a university in Spain after school you need take the Selectividad entrance exam – This is an analogue of our Unified State Examination. The exam results confirm the applicant’s level of knowledge, because admission to the university is on a competitive basis. Absolutely all school graduates must pass the mandatory part of the exam, and those who want to increase their average score take additional subjects. Exams are in written form and consist of tests and detailed answers to questions.
The mandatory part of the exam consists of the following subjects: Spanish language and literature, history of Spain, an additional foreign language and one more subject depending on the specialization.
The optional part is taken only by those who want to enter in-demand professions and want to increase their chances. Then, you can additionally take biology, philosophy, geography, etc., the subjects depend on the specialization.
For some specialties, you may need to confirm your level of Spanish language proficiency. But now there are more and more English-language programs.
Very often, in order to study in Spain after school, Russian students complete preparatory courses or undergo language schools in Spain. The courses last 1–2 years and are, in fact, an analogue of the last classes in a school in Spain.
All information listed above applies to public universities. In order for Russian applicants to enter a private university in Spain after school, they will not need to take an entrance exam, only an interview. But public universities are considered more prestigious in Spain, although they are cheaper.
Also, to enroll, you need to go through the procedure for recognizing a Russian school certificate: you need to affix an apostille and make official translations. The procedure takes several months.
It is better to decide on a university a year or two before admission, and during this time study Spanish in depth and prepare for admission.
If you are afraid of entrance exams, there is one way to beat them. This means entering a Russian university and transferring to Spain in the 2nd or 3rd year. Thus, you do not need to take an entrance exam, but you may need to take additional subjects to equalize the disciplines.
Our company will help you transfer from a Russian university to a Spanish one – find out more about the service at the link:
Studying in Spain for Russians after university
It is quite easy to enroll in a master’s program in Spain after a Russian bachelor’s degree. Firstly, you do not need to take entrance exams, and secondly, the admission process itself is very simple.
The first thing you need to do is decide on the university and specialization and submit an application online on the university website. The application must be accompanied by a diploma with an apostille and a consular or sworn translation and an appendix to the diploma.
Sometimes you may need to write a motivation letter, and sometimes you may schedule an additional interview via Skype. You may also need proof of language: English or Spanish, depending on the program.
A master’s degree in Spain lasts 1-2 years. Admission dates should be checked on the university website. If you are accepted, you will receive an email with instructions on what to do next.
Often Russian university graduates enroll in business schools. In Spain they are very prestigious and are cheaper than in other European countries. They teach in English.
Cost of studying in Spain for Russians
In some universities, the cost for Spaniards and foreigners differs by almost 2 times. But even taking this into account, education in Spain is cheaper than in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, and in terms of level and quality it is in no way inferior. In public universities, the cost of a year of study can be from 850 euros and reach 6000-8000 euros, and in private universities the cost of training starts from 4,000 thousand. Prices differ everywhere, they can be viewed on the websites of the universities of interest.
Approximate cost of training for Russians at the undergraduate level, Faculty of Tourism:
- Universities of Valencia and Alicante – 1 thousand euros/year;
- Universities of Barcelona – 1600 euros/year;
- Universities of Malaga, Granada, Seville – 750-800 euros/year.
Opportunity to study in Spain for Russians for free
As we have already said, there is no free higher education in Spain even for the Spaniards themselves. But still, it is cheaper in Spain than in universities of the same level in other European countries.
Spanish universities may offer scholarships or tuition discounts for international students. For example, a university may give a scholarship for excellent studies – if a student completes all subjects with the highest grade. In this case, the cost of study for the next semester will be compensated and the cost of living can be covered. Other popular scholarship programs:
- Olympiad Winner Scholarship;
- Scholarship for scientific work;
- Scholarship for sports achievements.
On university websites you can find details of what programs are available at your university. Sometimes it happens that the scholarship is paid by local authorities or organizations.
