There are two kinds of studies as regards distance learning:
university studies, provided by the Universidad Nacional de Educación
a Distancia, UNED (Open University) and distance vocational training,
organised by the Centro para
In addition, information is given on post-secondary education, which is not
part of university education, advanced vocational training, or advanced
Artistic or Sports studies
Distance university tertiary education
This type of education is carried out by the Universidad Nacional
de Educación a Distancia, UNED (Open University), a national public university
the head office of which is located in Madrid. It has associated centres
located throughout the country. Students who live abroad may gain access to UNED provision through the Network of Institutions that this
University runs abroad.
The goals of UNED include mainly to facilitate access and
continuity of university studies to those who cannot attend direct classes
owing to occupational or financial reasons, as well as for reasons of residence
or for other similar reasons.
The UNED offers 32 university Bachelor’s degrees which
include first cycle studies; first and second cycle studies; and studies of
second cycle only. It also offers a wide range of official postgraduate
programmes leading to the Master and Doctoral degrees.
It also offers courses for those over aged 25.
In addition to the official university studies leading to an academic degree,
the UNED offers open distance learning programmes for
which no prior certification is required. The Centro
Universitario de Idiomas a Distancia, CUID (University Institution for
Distance Language Learning) is worthy of mention. This is the unit of the UNED specialised in distance learning language education. At
present it provides three levels of education (basic, intermediate and
advanced) in the following languages: German, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Spanish
as a foreign language, Basque, French, Galician, Italian and English. No
academically valid certificate is awarded for such studies.
Apart from the UNED, there is also the Universitat
Oberta de Catalunya, UOC (Open University of
Catalonia).
Non-university tertiary
education
In addition to advanced vocational training and advanced Artistic and Sports
studies, there is a series of varied, and essentially professional
post-secondary studies which are governed by specific regulations. Among such
studies the following should be mentioned: advanced Military Training –Army,
Navy and Air Force - and certain specialised studies, such as Interior Design,
Private Investigation, Design and Fashion, Marketing, Civil Aviation, Public
Relations. The Military provision - to join the different ranks to follow a
military career- has its equivalence with formal provision within the education
system. These equivalences are the following:
In addition, since 1994 the education of Civil Guards has
been organised as a unitary and progressive system. The training grants access
to join the ranks of military under-officers and is at the same level as
advanced vocational training. On completion of these studies, a Técnico Superior
As regards the specialised provision for Interior Design, Civil Aviation,
Private Investigation, Design and Fashion, Public Relations, Marketing, to name
a few, these studies are mostly provided by private institutions only. The most
common requirement is to have completed the Bachillerato or its equivalent, and to have
passed the university entrance exam. The institutions which provide these
courses are usually specific schools or institutions, among which the following
should be mentioned: Criminology Institutes, reporting to the different
Faculties of Law (Private Investigator); the Barcelona Official School of
Public Relations (Public Relations); Aeronautics School (Civil Aviation), and
the Higher Institution for Design and Fashion of Madrid (Design and Fashion).
The duration, branches, subject areas, timetables, teaching and assessment
criteria, etc., for such studies are very varied and depend on the respective
kind of education.
Qualifications are awarded in accordance with the type of studies: Interior Design:
Certificate from the Department of Construction and Architectural Technology
(as yet without official recognition, but accepted by the Interior Designers'
Professional Association); Private Investigator: Private Investigator
Certificate; Civil Aviation: Civil Pilot Certificate. In the year 2003 the
conditions and the procedures to establish equivalences between the Spanish
higher education qualifications (both university and non-university ones) and
the official university degrees valid nation-wide were established. These are:
university Diplomado;
Technical Architect; Technical Engineer; Licenciado;
Architect and Engineer. In order to obtain recognition of these studies some
requirements must be met. In addition to an appraisal of the content of such
provision; the development of the relevant syllabuses; the recognition of
research ability of the teaching staff; and any other conditions accrediting
training equal to that obtained through university degrees. Those
qualifications authorised as equivalent will have the same academic validity
and will entitle their holders to work on equal terms with those they are
deemed to be equivalent to. certificate is
awarded. Likewise, incorporation to both the rank of officer and to the higher
scale of the Civil Guard Corps signifies the award of a qualification
equivalent to the one awarded through the first and the second cycle university
studies, respectively.
Institutions:
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA
- UNED
c/ Bravo Murillo, 38 28015 Madrid
Tel.:+34.91.398.60.00 /+34.91.398.82.67
Fax:+34.91.398.66.79
E-mail: infouned@adm.uned.es
Website:
http://www.uned.es
UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA (UOC)
Avda. Tibidabo, 39-43 08035 Barcelona
Tel.:+34.93.253.23.00
Fax:+34.93.417.64.95
E-mail: gpremsa@uoc.edu
Website:
http://www.uoc.edu
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