Higher education consists of:
- University education (ISCED 6, 7, and 8);
- Non-university education:
- Advanced vocational training and advanced specialisation courses (ISCED 5).
- Specialised education programmes:
- Higher artistic education (ISCED 6, 7, and 8);
- Advanced vocational education in plastic arts and design (ISCED 5);
- Advanced sports education (ISCED 5).
2025
New Internal Regulations of the General Assembly for University Policy
The General Assembly for University Policy agreed to approve its new Internal Regulations, which were subsequently published in the Official State Gazette by means of a Resolution.
The General Assembly for University Policy is the body for consultation, coordination and cooperation on general university policy and it is made up of the head of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, who will chair it, the heads of university education in the Governing Councils of the autonomous communities and five members appointed by the Assembly's presidency.
In accordance with the new Regulations, the functions of the General Assembly for University Policy are, among others, the following:
- To plan, inform, consult and advise on the general and multi-annual programming of university education.
- To draw up proposals to ensure the transparency, evaluation, debureaucratisation and efficiency of the main teaching, research, funding and human and economic resource management processes carried out at universities.
- To issue binding reports on the creation and recognition of universities.
- To approve, each year, the general provision of courses and places for official degrees in the university system.
- To propose measures and actions that guarantee access to, continuity in and completion of university studies under equal conditions for all students.
- To draw up reports on the application of the principle of gender equality, anti-discrimination policies and the recognition of diversity in all aspects of university life.
- To establish and assess the general guidelines of university policy, its internationalisation and, in particular, its articulation in the European Higher Education Area and its interrelationship with scientific and technological research policies.
2024
New Law on Higher Artistic Education
In June 2024, the Congress of Deputies passed the Law 1/2024 on Higher Artistic Education, which governs those studies for the very first time. In addition, it has become the education law with the broadest consensus in Spanish democracy.
The new law defines higher artistic studies as those belonging to bachelor’s and postgraduate levels within higher education targeted to the artistic development. These studies include a number of artistic disciplines:
- Music
- Dance
- Drama
- Conservation and restoration of cultural goods
- Visual arts
- Design
- Audiovisual arts, videogames, animation and cinematography
- Creative writing
- Circus arts
The law validates Higher Artistic Education to the European higher education area, aligning them to university studies. It also validates professional artistic education to the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications, that is, the new Vocational Training system, opening up the possibility to acknowledge and credit the competences acquired by workers in the artistic sector.
This will enable students to undertake part of their studies in a different European country and develop their career beyond their national borders. The dual modality is also implemented, so students will be able to carry out part of their training as internships in companies, organisations, etc. and they will contribute to Social Security system.
Furthermore, students in HigherArtistic Education can be granted scholarships under the same conditions as university students, including the payment of tuition fees, which were not compensated before.
The main objectives of the artistic education regulation include:
- Quality education: to provide a high-quality artistic education. The law aims to ensure that artistic education programmes enable students to develop their artistic, scientific, humanistic, cultural, research and pedagogical qualification.
- Professional qualification: to enable the qualification for the development of the student’s professional career, ensuring the acquisition of the necessary competences to successfully become integrated into all areas of the artistic sector. This includes the theoretical and practical training, tailored to the current labour market needs.
- Innovation and knowledge transfer: to promote innovation and transfer of knowledge in the artistic field. This includes research promotion, artistic creation and the collaboration between educational institutions and professionals in the sector.
- Contribution to economic development: to support economic growth by developing the creative and technological sectors, which are vital for the development and competitiveness of the Spanish economy.
2023
National Open Science Strategy
The Council of Ministers has recently approved the first National Open Science Strategy for the period between 2023 and 2027, and developed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. This Strategy values science as a common good and establishes open access to research results financed with public funds, complying with and developing the new Science, Technology and Innovation Law.
The aim of this strategy is to strengthen the quality, transparency and reproducibility of scientific activity in Spain, improve dissemination among scientific personnel and society, and design the ways in which our country responds to the challenges the Spanish scientific community.
The Strategy is aligned with the set of measures and policies promoted by the European Union to move towards a research model based on the open publication of research results and data.
Modernization of doctoral degrees
In July 2023, Royal Decree 576/2023, which modifies several previous regulations on doctoral degrees, was passed. This initiative responds to the need to adapt the regulatory framework to the transformations that have occurred in society and in university education in recent years. The main aim of this modification is to update the regulation of the third cycle of official university studies, focusing on the acquisition of competences and skills related to quality scientific research. Among the main measures adopted in this Royal Decree are:
- update of the regulation of doctoral degrees;
- establishment of counselling and personal formative plan in doctoral schools to guarantee adequate integration of students and supervision of the doctoral thesis;
- extension of the maximum duration of doctoral studies, both full-time and part-time, with the possibility of a one-year extension;
- inclusion of measures for the supervision and evaluation of the doctoral thesis, such as reports by external experts and a balanced composition of the evaluating boards;
- regulation of access and admission requirements, international and industrial mentions in doctoral degrees, thesis under joint supervision and the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.
This Royal Decree, strengthens internationalization of university studies, promotes connection with social needs and the global environment, and well as Open Science and Citizen Science. Likewise, the quality and autonomy of universities is guaranteed, which will reinforce the acquisition of research skills and interdisciplinarity in university studies.
New Law 2/2023 on the Universitary System (LOSU)
On April 12, 2023, Law 2/2023 of the University System (LOSU) enters into force. This new law proposes numerous measures, among which the most remarkable are:
- to guarantee the quality of university studies and teaching staff;
- to reduce the temporality of professors, from 40% in the previous legislation to 8%;
- to improve the conditions and status of associate professors;
- to create the figure of substitute professor;
- to commit for a minimum expenditure of 1 % of GDP at the University;
- to establish a maximum in university fees. The Autonomous Communities shall set the amount in accordance with the general principle of progressively containing or lowering prices;
- to promote lifelong learning;
- to improve the lengths of times of the academic career for teaching and research staff to encourage their stabilisation;
- to develop new qualitative and quantitative professor assessments;
- to increase the transparency in all public processes for professor positions where the organising university will be in the minority and the members will be chosen by lot;
- to promote the internationalisation of the university system, partnerships and joint degrees;
- to create the figure of Distinguished Professorship to attract professors of academic and research prestige, both national and foreign;
- to guarantee an equal and inclusive university;
- to promote of student participation.
In short, LOSU marks the horizons towards which Spanish universities must go, increasing their autonomy and giving them the necessary tools to face the changes that are taking place in society. The university system as a whole is strengthened to face the new challenges:
- adapting the perspectives in financing, in innovation and revaluation of teaching;
- delving into the transfer of knowledge to society;
- setting the path for democratising access to the university, in terms of rights and university autonomy.
Scholarships and study aids for the course 2023/2024
The budget of scholarships and study grants has reached its historical maximum for the next year. In particular, EUR 2 520 million will be allocated to scholarships and study grants. It is the fifth consecutive year that has increased its funding. Since 2018, the budget has increased by 70 %.
All information on requirements, deadlines, amounts and procedures to be eligible for these scholarships and grants are available on the scholarship website of the MEFD and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The goal is to centralise information and make it more accessible. The deadline to apply for general scholarships begins on March 27 and ends on May 17.