Students

Language requirements for students to access bachelor's and master's degrees or at the end of their studies.

To access some bachelor's degrees, students must prove that they have reached a certain language level: 

  • Bachelor's degree in International Business
    Knowledge of English (the bachelor's degree is taught entirely in English; candidates must have taken English at secondary school and upper secondary school level, or provide a level B1 certificate).

This summary of requirements is for information only. Students should consult the webpage of the corresponding course to check the latest requirements.

Language requirements to access certain university master's degrees 

 

Under the provisions Spanish Decree-Law 22/2021, of 5 October, amending Article 211 of Law 2/2014, of 27 January, on fiscal, administrative and financial measures and the public sector, pertaining to the accreditation of foreign language skills by bachelor’s degree students at Catalan universities, as a general rule, students who complete a bachelor’s degree from the academic year 2021-2022 onwards will no longer be required to demonstrate the achievement of foreign language skills at level B2 unless otherwise stated in the corresponding degree curriculum or as stipulated by their university.

Incentives to acquire foreign language skills and options for accreditation
In an effort to enhance its students’ academic and professional prospects, the University of Barcelona has undertaken to design and approve a plan to promote the acquisition of foreign language skills among bachelor’s degree students, as envisaged in the Catalan government’s Plan for the improvement of foreign language skills in the Catalan university system, before the end of the academic year 2022-2023.
In addition, the agreement announced by the board of the Inter-University Council of Catalonia (CIC) on 26 March 2021 sets out plans to establish specific incentives linked to progress in the acquisition of foreign language skills. This is intended to give students who have put significant effort into language learning a clear notion of its usefulness.
The Language Policy Committee of the CIC has agreed that the European Diploma Supplement (EDS) may now include any official certification of foreign language skills at level B2 or higher, according to the equivalences established in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Consult the instructions for submitting language certificates for inclusion in the EDS.

Each school or faculty defines the characteristics of the final project. Regulations establish that it should be written in Catalan or Spanish; although in some cases students may be required to write the entire project in English and give the oral presentation in this language. In all cases, a summary must be submitted in English.

Each international exchange programme has specific requirements. In general, knowledge of the language of instruction in the host university (the language that classes are taught in) is one of the criteria used to select students for international exchange programmes and to prioritize the available places.
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Bilateral exchange agreements between faculties and schools specify the languages of instruction and the recommended or required levels.

In the framework of Erasmus+ programme, students must take a test on the host university’s language of instruction. The test must be completed using the European Union’s Online Language Support (OLS) application. OLS also provides access to an online learning platform for the languages of the host universities.

The UB’s Office of Mobility and International Programmes offers School of Modern Languages (EIM) courses to participants in exchange programmes.