Program Overview

Introduction to the Hispanic and European Studies Programme

The Hispanic and European Studies Programme (HESP) is a special programme for foreign students within the UPF Study Abroad Program. Its specificity is a complement to the permanent UPF regular courses.

Objectives

The objective of the HESP is to make foreign students aware of the plural nature of Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain, from a European perspective, providing criteria for analysis and the foundations for understanding the cultures and societies of Spain, Catalonia, and Europe, and the relationships between them.

Academic Structure

The HESP will have an academic management, which will be responsible for preparing and co-ordinating the HESP courses, the teaching by lecturers, and monitoring students. The academic director will be appointed by the rector from among the UPF full-time teaching staff, and will receive a salary complement equivalent to that of vice-dean.

Entry Requirements

• HESP students must be registered at an accredited university or higher education institution or be in possession of a university qualification equivalent to a degree.
• To gain admission to the HESP subjects taught in Spanish, students must take a level test or provide accreditation of a sufficient level in the language according to the requirements established for each subject, enabling them to guarantee that they can follow and make the most of the course.

Calendar

• HESP courses are approximately 12 weeks in duration, with a total of 6 credits, equivalent to 45 hours of face-to-face lessons and an academic weight not strictly related to teaching - sessions outside the classroom, essays to be handed in to the lecturer, seminar type sessions, etc. - equivalent to 105 hours.
• The HESP courses take place over two semesters: one in the autumn and one in the spring. Depending on demand, the HESP academic range may be complemented by a Summer School of 6 weeks' duration, which includes a language course and a predetermined number of content courses.

Course Types and Qualifications

• The HESP offers two basic course types:
  • The Hispanic and European Studies Certificate. This lasts one semester, and it is necessary to take at least 30 ECTS credits in the Programme - 10 language credits and at least 10 HESP credits, which may be complemented by subjects from the standard UPF range.
  • The Hispanic and European Studies Diploma. This lasts one academic year, and it is necessary to take at least 60 ECTS credits in the Programme - 20 language credits and at least 20 HESP credits, which may be complemented by subjects from the standard UPF range.

Establishing the Courses Offered

• The HESP range of courses is taught on an inter-faculty basis, as the subjects are related to the Catalan and Spanish culture and languages considered from a European perspective. Courses are included based on the criteria of specificity and complementarity mentioned in article 1.
• The HESP range of courses and its calendar will be approved at least 12 weeks before the beginning of the course. The timetables will be established at least 8 weeks before the course starts.

Minimum Number of Students

• The culture subject courses will be opened subject to a minimum number of students - around 10 - registering for the course.
• Subjects with pre-registration numbers lower than 10 will be opened after authorisation from the vice-rector responsible for International Relations, after a proposal by the academic management of the HESP to the end.

Registration

• A pre-registration period will begin, in which foreign universities and institutions with which an agreement has been signed must provide a provisional list with the details of students and the list of the subjects for which they wish to register.
• To be accepted, the pre-registration form must be signed by the student and his/her academic tutor.

Assessment

• Assessment of the knowledge acquired on the HESP will take place at a single sitting. The final mark will be the result of continuing assessment throughout the course, including assessment at the midpoint of the semester.
• The marks will be published on the Campus Global within seven calendar days of the final tests.

Teaching Staff

• The teaching staff teaching the HESP courses will mostly be from the UPF, although external teaching staff may also be recruited and paid for by the Programme.
• The maximum number of courses that a UPF full-time lecturer can teach at the HESP is three (135 hours).