Secondary schools
Spanish schools follow a common curriculum and provide excellent preparation for admission to universities. Foreigners are accepted between the ages of 14 and 18. Admission requires an intermediate level of Spanish language proficiency, an academic record that is average or above average over the last two years of study, and, most importantly, the desire to adapt to new conditions and learn more about the cultural and social life of one of the most interesting countries in Europe.
Most Spanish schools accept Ukrainian students on exchange programs, within which becoming a graduate is quite difficult but possible. The advantages of such a program are undeniable: improved language proficiency, firsthand acquaintance with the Spanish education system, a wealth of impressions, and friends for life.
Ukrainian students can study at a public school (from age 15), which is difficult to get into because grades must be excellent, at a private school, or at a boarding school. You can study for either one semester or a full academic year. When arranging your studies, you must also choose a living arrangement: with a family or in a school dormitory.
Spanish universities
During the Renaissance, Spanish universities were educational centers of European significance. Suffice it to say that the first one appeared in Salamanca in 1218. They are divided into three categories: public, private, and religious. Public universities are giants – judge for yourself: about 130 thousand students study at the University of Madrid, and 75 thousand at the University of Barcelona.
Higher education in Spain is expensive. Even in public universities, tuition is paid – about $1,000 per year. Classes are conducted in Spanish. Private higher education institutions are more flexible, offering many postgraduate programs (based on higher education), including in English. University study lasts four to five years (six for a number of medical specialties).
After two to three years of study, students are awarded academic degrees Diplomado, Arquitecto Tecnico, and Ingeniero Tecnico, equivalents of the European bachelor's degree. After four to five years of study, students are awarded the equivalent of a European master's degree.
Studying in Madrid
This year, the Nebrija University, which is among the top ten universities in Spain, opened its doors to Ukrainian students. Universidad Antonio de Nebrija is small, with only 2,800 students, of whom 500 are foreigners. However, the university is an active participant in the Socrates-Erasmus project and has partnerships with more than 40 foreign universities, which ensures a very high degree of student mobility and provides them with the opportunity to obtain a double degree. An undeniable advantage is that there are only ten students per teacher. Foreigners have a flexible schedule here, and language support is provided at all levels: Spanish courses operate year-round, except in August. The university has an international club that organizes students' leisure activities.
At Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, foreigners can study the following specialties: Spanish studies, applied linguistics and humanities, translation and interpretation, tourism, business, marketing, law, European studies, journalism, advertising and PR, audio-visual communications, industrial engineering, and information technology engineering.
Entrance examinations
To gain admission to the university, you must pass the entrance exam Selectividades. To determine the general level of an applicant's educational preparation, two types of written tests are required. Their results determine not only the applicant's general and cultural level and the so-called 'maturity' of the candidate, but also language proficiency. It should be borne in mind that during the entrance exam, foreigners are subject to the same requirements as Spanish applicants.
You can also confirm your academic knowledge of Spanish with the D.E.L.E. certificate (Diploma de Espanol como Lengua Extranjera), an internationally recognized exam of the Cervantes Institute (the Spanish equivalent of the British Council and Goethe Institute exams).
There are three levels of Spanish language proficiency: initial (Inicial), basic (Basico), and advanced (Superior). Exam dates are fixed – they can be taken in May and November.
Students with a Ukrainian certificate must provide an application, a certified translation of their passport and educational documents. They will also have to take selection exams. The result consists of the entrance score earned and the average grade from the certificate. For those over 25, taking entrance exams is inevitable, but high school grades are not required. Those who have a Spanish secondary school certificate and are under 25 are enrolled in the university without any exams.