Objectives and competences
The master's degree in Education in Rural Areas seeks to train professionals who can recognize the specific characteristics of the rural environment, meet the particular educational requirements of these settings, and contribute to improving the quality of education in rural areas.
In education science disciplines, the topic of education in rural areas (rural schools) has not been addressed in great depth. It has not been considered in training plans aimed at education professionals or in the area of research.
Few initial teacher training programmes deal with the principles and practice of teaching in rural schools, and the subject is addressed even less in research. For these reasons, there is a need to educate teaching professionals in the subject of rural education in order to develop and dignify education as a part of life in rural contexts.
Few initial teacher training programmes deal with the principles and practice of teaching in rural schools, and the subject is addressed even less in research. For these reasons, there is a need to educate teaching professionals in the subject of rural education in order to develop and dignify education as a part of life in rural contexts.
Basic information
| Type | Master's degree |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Faculty of Education |
| Branch of knowledge |
|
| Mode of delivery |
|
| Credits | 60 |
| Length of course | 1 academic year |
| Approximate price per credit | 27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2022-2023 |
| Coordination | ROSER BOIX TOMAS |
| Course details | Indicators |
| Open pre-enrolment | Yes |
| Open enrolment | No |
| Lead to doctoral studies | Yes |
| Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualification | No |
| Interuniversity | Yes |
| Main university | Universitat Barcelona |
| Universities |
|
| Bridging courses | No |
Objectives and competences
Objectives
- To adapt teaching and learning to the needs of rural areas.
- To develop an awareness of the importance and need for quality education in rural areas.
- To consider the rural area from an interdisciplinary perspective, and transmit this to teachers.
Competences
- Ability to appraise complex situations using rigorously conceived academic innovations.
- Capacity to identify and assess the scientific theory relevant to a field of study and use it to take scientifically sound decisions.
- Knowledge of the diversity of educational practices in specific settings.
- Capacity to acquire advanced knowledge and apply it in diverse contexts and in educational research.
- Capacity to conduct research into education in rural settings.
- Ability to use argumentation to overcome prejudices about rural schools and to consolidate critical thinking.
Specific competences
- Ability to identify the governability of education centres in rural areas.
- Ability to plan the teaching and learning process for education centres in rural areas.
- Ability to analyse the importance of education to rural development and in driving balanced development across a rural area.
- Capacity to describe multi-grade educational practice on the basis of experience and detailed reflection.
- Ability to compare multi-grade and single-grade teaching practices.
- Recognition of knowledge obtained in the framework of the skills and attitudes developed in multi-grade teaching.
- Ability to analyse and interpret innovation and research models applied to education in rural areas.
- Capacity to identify and apply education research methods and techniques in rural areas.
- Capacity to relate the interdisciplinary character of scientific knowledge to educational practice in rural areas.
- Ability to identify the characteristics and roles of the main social agents and educators involved in rural development.
Access and admission
Applicant profile and access requirements
Recommended applicant profile
The main academic knowledge that the prospective students must possess pertains to the Spanish education system, the dimensions and meanings of education (formal, non-formal and informal education), and the foundations of general didactics; they must also display a mastery of ICT tools, especially databases, information storage databases and word processing software.Access requirements and conditions
General requirementsIn accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/29 October 2007, students must hold one of the following qualifications to access university master's degree courses:
- An official Spanish degree.
- A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.
- A qualification from outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, the qualification should be recognized as equivalent to an official Spanish degree. If it is not recognized, the University of Barcelona shall verify that it corresponds to a level of education that is equivalent to official Spanish degrees and that it authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.
Specific requirements
Official degrees granting access:
- Graduates in Early Childhood Education
- Graduates in Primary Education
- Graduates in Education
- Graduates in Social Education
- Holders of pre-EHEA degrees in Educational Psychology
Students will also be admitted with equivalent official degrees issued prior to the introduction of EHEA courses (in the case of Spain, the licenciatura and diplomatura).
Pre-enrolment
Calendar
- First period: 1 February - 30 June 2023.Notification of resolutions: the first fortnight of the month following the submission of the application.
- Second period: 1 July - 4 September 2023.
Notification of resolutions: 8 September.
A new extraordinary period will open in September in the event that vacancies remain.
Notes:
- Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
- Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.
Required documentation
- Pre-enrolment application
- Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
- Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria
Selection criteria
The following access requirements and selection criteria apply:
- Academic record for the qualification used in the admission process (minimum grade of 6/10). Successful applicants must have a general level of academic competence to be admitted. Weighting 60%.
- Personal interview. The aim is to learn more about each applicant's motivation and professional interest in the master's degree. Weighting 30%.
- Credit is given to those students with English language skills at or equivalent to level B1, and to those who can demonstrate particular expertise with ICT tools, especially: databases, information storage databases and word processing software. Weighting 10%.
Notification
This procedure is overseen by the master's degree Coordination Committee.Decisions on admission will be recorded in writing and students notified accordingly. Appeals may be lodged up to fifteen days after receiving notification and should be addressed to the master's degree coordinator.
A definitive ruling on admission will be issued no later than one month after the Coordination Committee has met.
Enrolment
As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned
- Documents required for enrolment
- Procedure to formalize enrolment
- Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
- Economic information (in Catalan)
Course curriculum
Subjects and course plans
Distribution of credits
| Type | ECTS |
|---|---|
| Compulsory | 30 |
| Optional | 18 |
| Compulsory placements | 6 |
| Compulsory final project | 6 |
| TOTAL | 60 |
List of subjects
Previous years
Placements
Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.
Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record. There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 750 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.
Institutional information