Postgraduate programmes at CEU: why studying in Spain can open up the whole of Europe to you
19th June 1999, representatives from 29 European states
It all started in Bologna, more than 20 years ago
On that day, 19th June 1999, 29 ministers of education from EU countries agreed to create a new dimension for university education in Europe: the European Higher Education Area.
All the major academic decisions taken from that point on by European universities have been consistent with the principles of the Bologna Declaration.
“The Bologna Declaration laid the foundations for the creation of the European Higher Education Area on the basis of certain principles (quality, mobility, diversity and competitiveness). Two of its strategic objectives are to increase employment in the European Union and to make the European higher education system attractive to students and lecturers from other parts of the world.”
A new structure for higher education
The Bologna Declaration saw a commitment from the signatories to move towards the higher education model used in English-speaking countries, a two-cycle model.
This decision was taken to facilitate mobility for students and workers between EU countries. By organizing higher education systems in the same way:
Inter-university programmes become easier to organize;
It becomes easier for employers across the EU to understand and recognize qualifications from other EU countries.
All Spanish universities have adopted this model as a consequence of the Bologna Declaration.
In other words, “postgraduate programmes” are not a mere add-on to a standard degree, but rather a stage in which graduates can specialize and gain the skills that European employers require.
Routes into Employment
Route 1 - Master’s Degrees
If you want to apply to become a civil servant, a master’s degree will give you an advantage.
If you want to become more skilled in your field, in order to move onto more specialized positions, then a master’s degree is the logical step to take.
If you are thinking about a career in teaching or research, remember that holding a master’s degree is the key to being accepted onto doctoral programmes.
In Spain, master's degrees are known as másteres universitarios, and they are programmes which have been verified and certified by the Spanish government’s quality assurance agency for higher education, ANECA.
Route 2 – Other Postgraduate Programmes
We have created título propio programmes in order to address skills gaps in the job market, although these programmes have not been verified by ANECA.
Other postgraduate programmes and certificates, known as títulos propios and cursos de capacitación, can also be taken into account in civil service selection processes.
The University only offers programmes when it knows that they make our students and graduates more employable.
Our cursos de capacitación enable students to certify certain skills, allowing them, for example, to teach the Valencian language in schools.