Access and Admission

To be able to pursue official university studies, it is necessary to meet one of the following legal requirements:

• Have passed the university entrance exam: "Selectividad", PAU, EBAU, or the entrance exam for people over 25 years old, as appropriate.
• Hold an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or European Baccalaureate diploma (access credential issued by the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, is required).
• Hold a Higher-Level Vocational Training Qualification.
• Have accredited work or professional experience (only for people over 40 years of age).
• Hold a university degree or have partially completed official degree studies or equivalent.
• Qualify under the university admission procedure for studentswith a secondary school diploma obtained in a foreign educational system belonging to the European Union or States with bilateral agreements.
• For students with a secondary school diploma from a Foreign Educational System NOT belonging to the European Union or from States with bilateral agreements [homologation/equivalency recognition of the foreign secondary school diploma to the corresponding Spanish diploma is required].

(You should consult with the Academic Secretary's Office during the enrollment process to learn about any possible special conditions associated with the specific degree for purposes of meeting the admission requirements)

According to the current regulations, a pathway for university admission is established for candidates with work or professional experience related to a field of study, who do not hold any academic qualification that would otherwise enable them admission to degree studies through other pathways, and who have turned 40 years of age in the calendar year in which the academic year begins. Given the specific nature of the admission pathway, the university has developed the following process and requirements:

• Documentation (in addition to the documentation required for the admission process, the applicant must provide)
  • Duly documented curriculum vitae, from which the following will be evaluated:
    • Number of years of accredited professional experience directly related to the degree.
    • Years elapsed since work experience related to the studies was obtained.
    • Relevance of the experience and competencies acquired with respect to those required by the degree program.
  • Employment History Report.
  • Employer certificate stating the competencies developed.

Admission evaluation criteria:

A specific committee created for this purpose, composed of the academic coordination of the degree program and the heads of the Academic Secretary's Office and the General Secretary's Office, will evaluate the documentation provided in relation to the degree’s field of knowledge, as well as the personal interview to which the applicant will be summoned.

With respect to the documentation and reports provided, 60% of the score is assigned for the final decision on whether or not to admission will be grant. The remaining 40% is assigned to the personal interview, in which the following will be evaluated:

• Currency/relevance of the knowledge acquired through professional experience.
• Skills for developing individual and group activities and assignments within the context of the curriculum.
• Motivation for pursuing the degree and future objectives related to it.
• Others criteria according to the characteristics of the applicant’s admission profile.

Once both criteria have been evaluated, if admission is granted, the Admissions Office will notify the applicant so that the process may continue with the process, and enrollment may be completed.

Language proficiency requirements for completing the degree and its subjects in a foreign language

The university is structured as a multilingual and multicultural university in response to the linguistic and cultural diversity of contemporary society.

For admission to degree studies in Translation and Language Teaching and in Primary Education, given the importance of the English language in these curricula, UNEATLANTICO establishes a minimum level required to be able to begin studies under adequate conditions and to be able to successfully undertake the subjects initially taught in that language.

Therefore, during the seat reservation process and before enrollment can be finalized, applicants must demonstrate at least a B1 level in English according to the CEFR (or other equivalent level, as determined by the Universidad Europea del Atlántico) by means of documents issued by officially recognized institutions such as Official Schools or other accrediting entities recognized by the university, provided that such documentation is no more than three years old. If the applicant is unable to demonstrate their English level by this means, the university itself will administer a language placement test, in which the applicant must likewise obtain at least a B1 level.

The evaluations may be created directly by the aforementioned Committee or arranged with external evaluation bodies of proven track record, always ensuring that the criteria established by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages are assessed.

Specifically, for the degree in Translation and Language Teaching, the curriculum is design so that the student may take a significant number of subjects in English, as well as in a second foreign language to be chosen by the student, either French or German.

If the applicant does not obtain the minimum level through any of the indicated pathways, they may not finalize enrollment or acquire student status the university. In addition, their seat reservation will be canceled and the vacancy will be released because they have not met the entrance requirements for the degree program.

With respect to the other foreign languages, no initial minimum level is required, since the first subject of the curriculum in French or German starts at a level suitable for students with no previous knowledge of that language.

The remaining degree programs are taught entirely in Spanish, with the exception of those subjects specified in the syllabus, which represent a small percentage of the total degree programs. Even so, with respect to the subjects taught in English, they account for a sufficient number of ECTS to allow students the opportunity to improve their level in that language, given the demands of the professional sector.

Language Competencies Required to Study a Degree in Spanish

Therefore, the minimum level of knowledge of Spanish required for the degree is B2, except for the degree programs in Primary Education and Translation and Language Teaching, for which, due to their particular characteristics, a C1 is required. This must be demonstrated by candidates who are not nationals of a country where Spanish is the native language.

Candidates must demonstrate this minimum level of Spanish proficiency required by the University by presenting the corresponding DELE level certificates (or another equivalent, as determined by the Universidad Europea del Atlántico), by means of documents issued by officially recognized institutions such as Official Schools or other certifying entities recognized by the University, provided that these certificates are less than two years old and specify the communicative proficiency level obtained.

This requirement may also be met by obtaining the required level in the different examinations set by a committee. These evaluations may be created directly by the Committee itself or arranged with external evaluating bodies of proven standing, always ensuring that the criteria established by the Common European Framework of Reference are evaluated for the level indicated in the preceding paragraph.

For non-Spanish speaking students who have not been admitted to the degree program, the University may offer a Spanish as a Foreign Language program in order to obtain the certification of the required Spanish proficiency. Similarly, for those who have gained admission, the university may also organize training programs aimed at improving Spanish-language skills, thereby giving this group the opportunity to consolidate their level and facilitating their academic progress.

In order to pursue official University Master's Degree programs, it is necessary to meet one of the following general requirements, in addition to any specific requirements established for each specific degree program of this type, both in the applicable internal and external regulations:

1. Holding an official Spanish degree program or an equivalent degree is a condition for admission to a university master’s degree, or, where applicable, holding another university master’s degree, or degrees at the same level as the Spanish degree or master’s degree issued by universities and higher education institutions in a country within the EHEA, provided that in that country such degrees grant access to master’s studies.
2. Likewise, persons in possession of degrees from educational systems that do not form part of the EHEA, equivalent to a degree program, may be admitted to a master's degree in the Spanish university system without the need to have the degree recognized, but must have the university verify the level of education involved, as long as the degree allows admission to postgraduate university studies in the country where it was issued. Under no circumstances will admission by this means imply the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party or its recognition for purposes other than that of carrying out the Master's studies.
3. Universities shall ensure transparent and accessible information on admission procedures, and shall have student guidance systems in place. They shall also ensure that such information and admission procedures take into account students with disabilities or special needs, and shall provide appropriate support services and counseling.

Therefore, you should consult the Academic Secretary's Office during the enrollment process in order to learn about any possible special conditions associated with the specific degree for purposes of meeting the admission requirements.

To pursue official Doctoral Programs, it is necessary to meet one of the following general requirements, in addition to any specific requirements established for each degree program of this type, both in the applicable internal and external regulations:

Therefore, you should consult the Academic Secretary's Office during the enrollment process in order to learn about any possible special conditions associated with the specific degree for purposes of meeting the access requirements.

1. In general, to be admitted to an official doctoral program, requires holding an official Spanish degree program or equivalents, and a master's degree or equivalents, provided that at least 300 ECTS have been completed across the two programs combined.
2. Likewise, admission is also open to those who fall under any of the following circumstances:
   1. Hold an official Spanish university degree, or from another country of the European Higher Education Area, that qualifies the holder for access to a Master's Degree in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of October 29, 2007, and having completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at the Master's Degree level.
   2. Hold an official Spanish Degree, the duration of which, in accordance with EU law, is at least 300 ECTS credits. Such graduates must compulsorily complete the bridging coursework referred to in Article 7.2 of R.D. 99/2011, unless the curriculum of the corresponding degree includes research training credits equivalent in academic value to the research credits from master's studies.
   3. Hold a degree obtained under foreign educational systems, without the need for its equivalency/homologation, provided that the university first verifies that it certifies a level of education equivalent to that of the official Spanish University Master's Degree and that it qualifies the holder in the country of issuance for access to doctoral studies. This admission shall not, under any circumstances, imply the equivalency/homologation recognition of the applicant’s prior degree, or its recognition for purposes other than access to Doctoral studies.
   4. Hold another Spanish Doctoral Degree obtained under prior university regulations.
   5. Being a doctoral student under prior university regulations, subject to admission by the corresponding university, in accordance with the provisions of RD 99/2011 and the university's own regulations (60-ECTS training period in Doctoral Program under RD 1393/2007).
   6. Hold an official University Degree that has been determined to correspond to level 3 of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education, in accordance with the procedure established in Royal Decree 967/2014, of November 21, which sets out the requirements and procedure for the homologation and declaration of equivalence to official University Degree and academic level.

3. Access with non-homologated foreign University Degrees.

4. Spanish or foreign students who hold degrees obtained from a foreign university or institution of higher education and wish to pursue Third Cycle studies at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico may be admitted without prior homologation/equivalency recognition of their degrees, in accordance with the following requirements:

   1. Request prior authorization to pursue Third Cycle studies, by means of a request addressed to the Director of the Doctoral School.
   2. Submit the degree or degrees obtained from their home university, duly legalized.
   3. Submit an academic certification showing the subjects taken and the grades obtained, as well as the years and subjects comprising the degree program.

5. Once a favorable resolution has been obtained, final admission will be requested.

Therefore, you should consult the Academic Secretary's Office during the enrollment process in order to learn about any possible special conditions associated with the specific degree for purposes of meeting access requirements.