Academic life and university rules

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain to study. Visa renewals, recognition of degrees for work, and housing and social life are covered elsewhere.

Start with "How teaching and studying work at Spanish universities". It shows you what to expect from lectures, attendance, continuous assessment and professors. After that, read "Grades, exam sittings (convocatorias) and resits" to understand marks, retakes and attempt limits. Then pick the pages that match your situation, such as failing subjects, challenging a grade, changing degree, transferring credits, dealing with the secretaría, or collecting your degree title.

Key rules

• Attempts per subject: Most universities allow six convocatorias per subject, with two sittings per academic year, ordinary and extraordinary.
• Formal appeal: After a review is denied, you can file a recurso de alzada with the rector within one month of the decision.
• Review request window: You can usually ask for a review of an exam grade within 3 to 5 working days after the provisional grades are published, so check your university's exact number.
• Guía docente: Each subject's guía docente sets its assessment weights, attendance rules and resit rules, so read it before classes start.
• Attendance: No national law requires attendance, but labs, practicals and placements often do.
• Pass mark: You pass a subject with 5.0 or more out of 10.

Academic life and university rules: the whole process, step by step

• Start the first semester (see the article on the Spanish university year): September to late January, with about 14 to 15 weeks of teaching

• Decide whether to cancel enrolment in a subject or the whole degree (see the article on quitting or changing degree): Single subjects usually until October or November for first-semester or yearly subjects; full cancellation often until late October to December. Cancelling inside the deadline normally means the subject is treated as not enrolled

• Sit first-semester exams (see the article on grades and exam sittings): Mid-January to early February, about 2 to 3 weeks

• Start the second semester and cancel second-semester subjects if needed: Early February to May or June; cancellation of single subjects usually until February or March

• Ask for a review of a grade you disagree with (see the article on challenging a grade): within 3 to 5 working days after the provisional grades are published

• Take the review to a tribunal if the professor keeps the grade: After the professor's written reply; the tribunal often decides within 10 to 15 days

• File a recurso de alzada with the rector if the review is denied: within one month of the decision; the rector has three months to answer, and silence counts as a rejection

• Sit second-semester exams: Late May to mid-June, about 2 to 3 weeks

• Sit resits (extraordinary sitting): Late June to July, or September at some universities

• Check your permanence requirements for the year (see the article on failing subjects): After the resits, before enrolling for the next year

• Apply to change degree or transfer to another university (see the articles on quitting or switching and on transferring credits): Usually June to July, with a second window in September at some universities

• Ask for recognition of foreign credits (see the article on transferring credits): The faculty usually decides within one to three months of your application

• Pay the fees and wait for your official degree title (see the article on collecting your degree title): usually 6 to 12 months after paying the fees, sometimes longer

Documents you may need

Translations and legal papers

• Apostille on your degree title — Collecting your degree title and using it abroad
• Sworn translation of your documents if they are not in Spanish or English — Transferring to a Spanish degree and getting credits recognised

Other documents

• Official academic transcript from your home university — Transferring to a Spanish degree and getting credits recognised
• Syllabi or course descriptions for the subjects you want recognised — Transferring to a Spanish degree and getting credits recognised
• University credentials — Dealing with university administration (secretaría)
• Original degree title or a certified copy — Collecting your degree title and using it abroad
• Cl@ve — Dealing with university administration (secretaría)
• A digital certificate — Dealing with university administration (secretaría)
• Your certificación académica — Dealing with university administration (secretaría)
• Provisional replacement certificate — Collecting your degree title and using it abroad
• Suplemento Europeo al Título — Collecting your degree title and using it abroad

Academic life and university rules: questions that cross several articles

Does not showing up to an exam use up a convocatoria?

It depends on your university: in many, a No presentado does not use up a convocatoria, but others count it whenever you are enrolled. Your university's evaluation or permanence rules say which applies. Read "Grades, exam sittings (convocatorias) and resits" and then "What happens if you fail subjects (normas de permanencia)".

What happens if I use up all my convocatorias in a subject?

You can be barred from continuing that degree at that university, though you can usually start a different degree. Many universities allow a request for an extra convocatoria de gracia for illness, work or family reasons.

Can I change degree at the same university without losing credits?

Yes, you can apply through the university's change-of-studies route, and credits are recognised by the faculty, with basic-training credits in the same branch recognised. The window is often June to July, and places may be ranked by academic record. Read "Quitting or changing degree without losing money" and "Transferring to a Spanish degree and getting credits recognised".

Is there a way to pass a last failed subject without sitting it again?

Some universities offer evaluación por compensación for one or few remaining failed subjects, but not all do. Usual conditions are a minimum number of failed attempts, the rest of the degree completed, and marks above a threshold, often about 4.