Applying to Spanish universities from the UK for social sciences

[user1494050295]

My dd is doing GCSEs and wants to study for an undergraduate degree (most likely in the social sciences) in Spain. We are UK nationals. He A levels will include Spanish as she needs to be fluent. Has anyone had to navigate this? Thank you

We might be back in Erasmus by then

We’re at the very early stages of thinking about this so can’t impart any wisdom, but I think if your son doesn’t have an EU passport he might have to get a student visa and pay international fees. This might mean it is not significantly cheaper than here. Sorry - it’s not clear why he is thinking of Spain specifically so it crossed my mind cost might be an aspect. Once you have an idea of uni / shortlist, it might be worth seeing if they have an international student advice team who can provide info about requirements, fees and visas - a fair few unis here do so I imagine it will likely be similar in Spain. I may be wrong, but I think that some universities in Spain might require the local language / dialect? As I said, we’ve barely started looking at it as my eldest is only in year ten, but my husband is Spanish and we’re keen for the kids to spend some time there and my husband’s nephew is having an amazing time at Granada uni (brought up in Spain so sadly unable to share any real intel from him.). I’m hoping others who have actual experience will come share it!

Disclaimer: Spanish father, passport, studied in Spain because I could and 'why not?' so didn't do what she has suggested, so my experience differs.

Realise that helping those who want to live or study in Spain is an industry. There are some dodgy actors in it. At first glance this outfit seem to be explaining clearly:

How to get the Spanish Residency (All Your Options Here)

Also the EU has this year old advice:

Student in Spain - Migration and Home Affairs - European Commission

Does she already have a residencia?

No idea what the motivations are, but do support self-critical thinking on the pros and cons. A-levels in a subject show that you have an A-level in that language. That's good, but you really need some immersion too. Also consider whether there is a specialist vocabulary for the intended subject(s) to be studied and whether foundations for that can be developed [ironically it can sometimes be International English that many Dutch and Nordic academics are often more adeptly fluent in that their peers in England].

As mentioned up-thread UK-EU schemes might be better developed as time passes. Meanwhile what is currently going on in UK universities in terms of course cuts is worrying.

Can you afford to fund upfront? No loans…

Will these degrees be taught in Spanish?
If so she will need more than A Level Spanish surely, more like degree level.
Unless I’m missing something here.

You, collective fucked up by voting for Brexshit.

Shit for the youth I know...

A level Spanish won’t make her a fluent speaker though. Living in Spain will bring on her language skills loads.

Is the course taught in Spanish? If so it might be an idea to live and work there if possible for a while before the course starts.

I went to uni abroad for my MFL degree and it was fine, but I was two years further on than A level in my language learning.

Why does she want to do it? Is Spanish a big passion?

The big question is why?

International students studying an undergraduate degree in Spain are honestly not very common. Far more go there for postgrad or for a semester/year in a study abroad programme.

The Spanish education system tends to be focused on rote learning and memorisation rather than critical thinking. It's pretty good for STEM subjects and far less good for social sciences.

Students fail far, far more in Spain than in the UK. Most degrees are four years...in theory. Last I checked (I moved away 3 years ago), only 33% of students finished their degree within four years. Fees are worked out according to the number of credits. Every time you fail an exam and have to retake it, the cost per credit increases. That also means you may be funding rent/food/expenses for longer than you expect. There is very little culture of students working part-time to support themselves - I know a handful of people who did, but it's really rare, and if she wants to, say, tutor English as a part-time job, she'll be earning peanuts (I also don't know what student visas legally permit for work).

An A level in Spanish is not adequate for the level of language required, unless it is a course taught in English (very rare outside business and STEM). Keep in mind that Catalonia, Galicia, Basque Country, Navarra, Balearics & Valencian Community are all bilingual, and professors can opt to teach in castellano or the respective regional language as they wish. Galego is very easy to learn for someone who speaks Spanish; Catalan is a little more complicated but still very doable; Euskera (Basque) is extremely difficult, as it is unconnected to any other language.

The majority of students live at home with their parents; there's far less of a culture of living in halls. Something like 90% of students stay in their own region, and if they don't live at home, they tend to go home every weekend so their mum can do their laundry & give them a week's worth of tupperwares. It can be frustrating for students who are already quite mature and independent.

IME the cities with the strongest student vibes are Granada, Salamanca and Santiago de Compostela. Those are all small cities built around historic universities - great buzz during term time. They're also all pretty cheap to live in, & you can mostly get around on foot.

Honestly, it would probably be a better idea to look into Turing/Erasmus/whatever programme is relevant at the time & aim for a semester or year in Spain. It's a long way away, but she may even be better off doing undergrad in the UK & a postgrad in Spain. Master's degrees are often taught in English.

Wholeheartedly agree with all ofthis. I’ve studied in both systems and honestly I think the standard of education and teaching is far higher in UK than in Spain.

Thank you. My daughter is looking at options. Fees are about a fifth of the UK. We are actually visiting Granada next month so glad to hear about your nephew. I emailed the university so can get more intel then. I am aware of the student visa aspect. Thanks again

Thank you for the reply. Lots to consider

Yes

Yes and there is a further qualification she needs to take to be accepted

Thanks. Yes she plans to do immersion courses. She has considered this since year 8 when she took up Spanish.

Thanks so much. Lots to consider here. It’s tough as I work for a RG in the social sciences with c98% completion rate so a different experience. Glad to hear about Granada which we are visiting next month for a reccy.

If it's just the low fees, I would say this is not a good enough reason, frankly, unless your DC intends to make a life mostly in Spain. What sort of work might she want to do in Spain?

University isn't just about the course knowledge and skills. It's about making networks and contacts, through your course, the extra-curricular activities, and things like employer/careers fairs and so on.

Most mainland European universities expect students live at home. They offer far less in terms of the student life experience than UK universities do, unless you're already embedded in a city or town. Students are expected to be far more independent, and far less little focus on small group teaching and tutorial support.

And then there's the reputational issue: if your DD wants to return to the UK to work, will her degree be "seen" by employers? What is the reputation of universities she's looking at in Spain?

These are questions to think about, in addition to: full international fees, local housing (it is unlikely to be university-subsidised student halls as in the UK); health insurance, travel to & from the university.

Far better to look at UK universities which offer a year abroad option: my place offers a year abroad or a year in employment option for all degrees, not just language degrees.

It's possible she may change her mind once she is in sixth form. It is a period of great change. I know someone who was obsessed with Spanish and Spain and everyone thought they would choose a MFL degree. But by the end of Year 12, they had developed other passions and chose a different degree.

I'd recommend a GAP year with 3 months immersion living in Spain. She might change her mind.

Hi OP.
One thing.. I am not sure if it has been mentioned before.
For most of Spanish undergraduate studies, students need to pass the "Selectividad". This is an exam that needs to be passed once the student has passed all their subjects in school. Students in Spanish schools take up to 8 subjects in the 2 years of Bachillerato (spanish 6th form). The grade in the exam, is added to the average grade in Bachillerato and this "new grade" will be the one used in order to know if a student made the grade to enter their degree. The grade needed changes year on year, so difficult to know what grade do you need... the "grade" is not know usually know that far in advance to when the selectividad exam is taken. The exam is taken at the end of June, which is too early for British students and they won't know their A'levels grades until August.
There is another sitting in September, but the places available for students takin the exam in September are some times very limited, if any.
In my opinion, it is very important for you to know if your DD will need to pass this exam or not, and if she needs to, she will need to know which subjects she needs to pass and when she can take the exam.
There are as well "private" universities in Spain, so she might not need to pass this exam to study in one of them, but then, the fees could be as high as the fees in the UK. I know this, as my daughter studied in Barcelona for her degree and the fees were €11,000/year. She didn't need to pass the Selectividad though.
I am Spanish National, that is why I know about the selectividad and how it works.
As other poster have mentioned, there are other languages spoken officially in some of comunidades autonomas, Catalan, Gallego Basco y Aranes (these are languages not dialects), and I know in Catalonia (I am catalan), a lot of the degrees are taught in catalan.

I think the best you can do, if you are travelling to Granada, go to the university and ask as many questions as possible. As well, you might want to contact the "ministerio de educacion" and ask as many questions you think are necessary.
Information is key in order to make the right decision.
My daughter loved her time in Barcelona (she spoke catalan and Spanish and it helped a lot), She is now working in Barcelona.
If you would like to ask any other questions, please PM me.
Good luck to your daughter!! Exciting times ahead

Hello OP, I hope your forthcoming trip to Granada gives your DD the answers she needs as to whether to pursue a full UG degree in Spain or, opt for a year abroad solution that may be more easier to navigate.

My DD completed a YA last year, 6 months of it at Granada. But her programme was not in social sciences, more a multidisciplinary one that included languages, all taught in Spanish including Arabic, which was a double challenge.

Whilst the requisite for her home University was just pass/fail, many returned to their respective universities with a fail, the marking bar was high, with no leeway for those being non native in class vs their local counterparts.

But she absolutely loved being there. The teaching experience wasn't anywhere as strong as her other semester in another country, but the Granada vibe for international students was great, though I'm not sure she could have done 4 years there - a year for sure. I was expecting it to be more grungy vs other Spanish university cities (sorry to any local PP's above)! but it was really friendly and accessible by foot. And the moorish/European overlap makes the City really interesting, culture wise.

Accommodation was circa £280 per month plus bills in a private house share of 4. There are many private Halls if that's the preference, but more expensive.

The location, whist a pain from UK, is good for them for onward travel if that's of interest to your DD, access to North Africa, ME, rest of Europe etc, well served by LCCs.

To further prepare your DD for total immersion, she could make use of the good value language schools in Spain, mine did a couple of weeks in Barcelona mid A levels, and then au paired in Madrid for 2 months post Y13 (no visa challenges here, you go on an au-pair visa). Yours sounds very language able, so tutoring through studies may also be an option for her, it's funded my DD's UG years of study/extensive travel well and is portable to wherever they are studying.

Sorry this is long post, but I cannot answer whether it is advantageous or disadvantages a UK student, but from a subjective perspective from my DD's school cohort who have graduated last summer or are graduating now, studying overseas has not held them back in their next stages (post grad studies or first grad jobs). I think you need to have an independent, outgoing YP as there is not the level of nurturing as you get here, and the local students do tend to live 'off campus' so do probe these factors on your recce.

Good luck!

Thanks for this. When we visit I will ask about the support for international students and whether they keep them together to build community. I will also ask about accommodation and completion rates. Thanks again for your comments

I really appreciate this insight and good questions to ask when we visit

Thank you really helpful insight

Social science degrees are not culture-neutral. It could be extremely challenging to move from England, GCSEs and A-levels to a Spanish university for a social science degree (even if the prospective student fulfills the admissions criteria, which is not a given) and what on earth will that degree offer in terms of labour market entry?

@user1494050295 I think your daughter is very brave. I would suggest that she joins TSR (thestudentroom.co.uk) - she may find people there who have actually done it.

I also second suggestions of a gap year in Spain (maybe au pair for a year?) - I think as an au pair you are encouraged (maybe even paid) to do language courses and she'd find out all about higher education in Spain through friends.

I know one British girl who did her undergraduate degree in France - originally law at the Sorbonne, but switched to politics in the second semester (apparently law essays were a step too far!). I think she went directly after A-level (not a native speaker and no French relatives) - she took some diagnostic test which placed her at C1 at the time. She probably read and watched a lot of French beyond the A-level syllabus though.

I find it rather odd that people dismiss Spanish undergraduate degrees out of hand. Personally I would find a British person doing this very impressive. However, if the views on this thread represent the general view of the British public then perhaps this is a prejudice she should prepare herself for.

There are also dual degrees at British / Spanish universities, like this one: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/english-law-and-spanish-law-llb where you spend two years at both and get a degree certificate from both. Maybe that could be an alternative.

Mine did an mfl degree and did a year in Bilbao at Deusto and loved it there . Said she would have done her entire degree in Spain if she could have . She lived the teaching and lecturers more and the vibe . A lot more contact hours about 25 -30.
Her friend did her degree in Barcelona ( both English and Spanish taught ) and loved it too.