How can I tell if I have chosen the right degree for me?

When choosing what to study, you must be realistic and give honest answers to the following questions: What degree do I like most? What subjects am I good at and what subjects do I get best marks in? What sort of career suits my character and personality? It is also better to follow your own vocation than to let yourself be influenced by possible job opportunities, since you can go into the same area of the job market with a number of different qualifications and market demand can change drastically from one year to another.

What else can I do to be sure I make the right choice?

Once you know what degrees you are interested in, you can look at the study programmes to see the subjects and teaching objectives in each course. Click on the following link:

1st and 2nd cycle studies

And don't forget to discuss your options with your family and friends. Together you can analyse some of the key factors that will help you make the best choice, such as previous academic performance, personal factors, attitude towards studying and working, academic profile, personal and professional interests, and so on.

How can I find out about my abilities and strong points?

You can talk to the careers adviser or academic tutor at your secondary school. They will provide you with personal advice. Certain tests can be taken to help you determine your skills or preferences.

What type of institution is the UPV?

The UPV is a public institution that offers mostly technological degrees. It is a young university its history dates back only 30 years, although some of its schools are over a hundred years old.

What is the goal of the UPV?

The aim of the UPV is to help students finish their degrees successfully and provide them with the best technical and human training. Furthermore, we also want our students to enjoy their stay at our University and to remember it as a satisfying and productive experience.

For this reason, we offer our students the most advanced technologies, up-to-date facilities, a wide range of cultural and sports activities, scholarships and grants, internships and the chance to study abroad.

In short, we try to encourage our students to grow both as human beings and as professionals, so that they are prepared to undertake prominent roles in their respective fields.

How many campus sites are there at the UPV?

UPV schools and faculties are located on three different campus sites. The Valencia Campus site is located to the north-east of Valencia and is well connected to the city by bus or underground.

The Gandia Campus site, located very close to the port and the beach in Grao de Gandia, houses the Higher Polytechnic School of Gandia, which has not stopped growing since it was created in 1993.

The Alcoy Campus site is made up of several buildings, such as the Paseo del Viaducto building (1926) and, only a kilometre away, the former Ferrándiz and Carbonell factories, which were two important textile enterprises and have now been converted into the Higher Polytechnic School of Alcoy.

How many Schools and Faculties are there at the UPV?

The UPV is made up of 15 university centres in all - 10 Schools, 3 Faculties and 2 Higher Polytechnic Schools.

How is life at the UPV?

Life at the UPV is varied and multidisciplinary. It is not only about attending class, doing practicals in the lab, writing essays or sitting exams.

Students should combine their academic life with leisure activities, for example, cinema, theatre, classical music, rock or jazz concerts, poetry workshops, charity campaigns, sports, radio or television programmes.

At the UPV you will be able to develop your artistic creativity, practise your sporting skills or satisfy your social interests. We make a whole world of services available to you, so that you can combine your academic and social life as effectively as possible. During your first days at the University, we will give you detailed information on all these possibilities.

What can I study at the UPV?

If you are a degree seeking student, clicking on "1st and 2nd cycle studies", you can find a complete list of the 1st cycle, 1st and 2nd cycle, and 2nd cycle-only degrees currently on offer at the UPV.

At the UPV you can also register in 3rd cycle studies (PhD), UPV degrees (master's, university expert and professional expert degrees), general knowledge and tailor-made courses.

If you are a exchange student (a student coming to UPV for a limited period of time, usually one or two semesters), contact the Academic Exchange Co-ordinator at your own university.

What qualifications do I need to study a degree at the UPV?

If you want to register at the UPV (1st and 2nd cycle degrees) you need to have completed Spanish Secondary Studies and passed the National University Admission Exams (PAU), or some officially recognised foreign equivalent. Whatever the case, your previous studies or the entrance exams you have passed must always tie in with the degree course you want to do.

What are minimum admission Grade Point Averages?

Minimum admission GPAs are the grades of the students who were last on the list of admissions on each course, but they do not necessarily hold for the next academic year. They are only to be taken as a guideline.

There is a minimum admission GPA for Spanish students and another for foreign students.

And what happens if I want to study a course that has a higher minimum admission GPA than the grade I have?

Minimum admission GPAs are only meant as a reference because they change from one year to the next. You should therefore choose the degree course you really want to study as your first choice, even though your admission grade is a little lower than the previous year's minimum admission GPA.

If I have studied foreign secondary studies, do I also have to go through the pre-enrolment process?

Yes, pre-enrolment is necessary for students from secondary school as well as for those coming from Post-Secondary Vocational Training, students over 25 years of age, graduates, elite sportsmen, lesser-abled students and foreign students.

What is pre-enrolment for?

Every academic year the Schools and Faculties set a maximum number of students that they can accept. Pre-enrolment is the procedure used to organise admission to the Schools and Faculties and it is based on the clear notion that students with higher grades (in their pre-university studies) must have preference when it comes to choosing a degree.

In order for the Schools and Faculties to be aware of the demand for each degree, students have to fill in the pre-enrolment form.

What information must I state on the pre-enrolment form?

You must state the degrees you wish to study (and the Schools that offer them) in order of preference. You must also include your personal details, your level of studies or qualifications and your grades.

How and when will I know whether I have been accepted by the centre I chose?

Results of the pre-enrolment are posted on the official notice boards at all the universities and at the Valencian Ministry for Company, University and Science. They are also published in the press in the Valencian Region and posted on our University website.

The list of acceptances in phase A (June) is made known in the second fortnight of July, and the one with those admitted in phase B (September) appears in early October.

And what happens if I haven't been accepted for the degree course I gave as my first choice?

In that case, you go on a waiting list. If you are accepted on a certain degree course, let's say your 3rd choice, you are still on the waiting list for your first two options, but you are no longer on the waiting lists for the others on your list of preferences.

Any vacancies left by students who were accepted by a centre in phase A (June) but have not registered by September can be taken by those on the waiting list. At the beginning of September, remaining vacancies are auctioned off among students who are still on the waiting list.

What is a vacancy auction?

The vacancies that have not been filled when the phase A (June) registration period finishes are put up for auction (or a public vacancy offer) that is held on the same day, at the same time in all the Schools and Faculties at the UPV. Prior to the auction, the centres must make the number of vacancies in each of their degree courses known publicly.

If you are on several waiting lists, you should go to the centre that is auctioning off the degree course that you are most interested in or where you have the best chance of getting in (don't forget to take your ID card or passport).

Is there a vacancy auction for students from phase B (September)?

No. In September all you have to do is submit the pre-enrolment papers.

How is registration carried out?

Students who have been accepted at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia during phase A (June) will be sent a letter telling them the date (always during the first week of September), time and place they must register.

Students from phase B (September) must get in touch with the School or Faculty where they have been accepted and they will then be given full details about the registration process.

In any case, a few days before the registration period, you will need to collect the registration envelope from the Secretary's office of the School where you have been admitted.

What are the registration fees?

In 2007-2008, the registration fee for a complete academic year in any UPV degree was 801.18 euros, as stipulated in the Local Government Order 127/2007 of the 27th July. The registration fees for 2008-2009 will probably be very similar.

Can I apply for a scholarship?

Yes, if you fulfil the requirements. There are several scholarships or grants that you can apply for during your first year at university: the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC); the Valencian Ministry for Company, University and Science, and the UPV are some of the institutions offering financial assistance for students.

The different offers are updated yearly and types and deadlines are as follows:

Scholarships for first-year university students:

- MEC scholarships for students who, during the following academic year, are going to start the 1st cycle of a university degree for the first time. The deadline is the end of May.

Scholarships for university students in general:

­ General MEC scholarships and grants for university students studying within their local region. The deadline is the end of October.

- MEC mobility grants for the present academic year, addressed to university students studying outside their local region. The deadline is the end of October.

- Scholarships granted by the Valencian Ministry for Company, University and Science, for students studying in public universities in the Valencian Region. The deadline is the end of October.

If you want more information on scholarships and grants, visit the UPV Information Office or click on this link:

Grants

If you need specific information on a particular type of grant, contact the Student Services' Grant Office.

What can I do about accommodation if I live outside Valencia?

By clicking on the following link you can find a complete database of accommodation currently available, whether you are looking for a hall of residence or you prefer to share a flat.

Accommodation

What goes on during the first week?

To ease your entrance into university, the UPV organises orientation sessions to explain how your School works and tell you about the services available to students. Your guides will show you around the laboratories, the classrooms, the library and so on, and you will be shown how to use the UPV intranet. You will also be given sound advice on study methods and a small introduction to the degree's basic subjects, such as algebra, physics, chemistry, etc.

Attendance is compulsory for all first-year students.

When do these orientation sessions take place?

Generally, orientation sessions take place during the first weeks of September, before the start of the academic year.

For more information on dates and contents, click on the following link:

Orientation sessions for incoming students

What else can I do to prepare myself for my university studies?

It would be a good idea to go over some of the knowledge acquired during secondary education. In order to help you re-acquaint yourself with the basic subjects, the UPV organises the refreshment courses to revise mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Who can help me if I have problems with my studies?

During the orientation sessions, you can request a student-tutor or a teacher-tutor. They will help you get used to your new educational, academic and social environment. You can ask them for general guidance or to help you clear up specific doubts. Their points of view complement each other and can be very useful.

You can also visit the experts that work at the Educational and Psychological Guidance Centre (GOPU), who will deal with you personally if you need to talk to them about any adaptation, psychological or learning problems you might have.

Where do I go to solve problems related to registration, fee refunds or grant applications?

Student Services manages all the administrative affairs related to pre-enrolment, registration, grants, fee refunds, validations, and so forth, although some of these procedures are delegated to the Secretary's Office in each School.

Can I study in English?

The UPV gives you the chance to study certain subjects in your degree in English. On the International Exchange Programmes Office website, you can find a list of subjects that are taught in English. During the academic year 2007-2008 there were over 130 subjects to choose from.

Can I connect to the Internet from home?

UPV students have free access to the Internet and to their e-mail. Schools and Faculties are equipped with free-access computer facilities for Internet researching or writing up assignments.

The Information and Communications Systems Office will give you remote access so that you can connect to the Internet from home. You can also enter the UPV intranet to look up your own restricted information about your subjects, ask for certificates or print out your record transcript.

What sports can I practise?

At our university, you can practise up to 75 different sports, including athletics, sailing, rowing, aikido, scuba diving, tennis, swimming, basketball, fencing, indoor football, handball, rugby, mountaineering, taekwondo, volleyball, mountain climbing, cycling, Valencian pelota (traditional ball game) and many more. Your UPV student card gives you access to our outstanding sports facilities and experienced trainers are always at hand to give you advice.

Likewise, you can apply for grants to compete in federated sports and assistance to take part in the Spanish National University Championships.

Can I use the Students' Club services?

The Students' Club is open to UPV students 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Student's Club is the venue of the Student Union and the UPV Former Students' Association. This four-storey building is equipped with wireless voice and data technology and has a total floor area of 5,200 square metres, including several terraces.

Furthermore, the Students' Club has a games room, legal advisors, a photography lab and a rehearsal room. You can also find classrooms for courses, workshops and conferences, study rooms, computer rooms, as well as plenty of space for other activities. All these services are available to you.

Is there help available for lesser-abled students?

The UPV CEDAT Foundation (Centre for the Development of Technology and Support for the Lesser-abled) can appoint someone to be with you during classes and help you if you need it.

CEDAT is working towards the elimination of physical barriers and can provide you with a sign language interpreter if you need one. The Foundation can also lend you FM transmitters, long-play tape recorders, laptops, adapted mouse devices or specific software on request.

Are there any other initiatives being carried out at the UPV?

The UPV provides a wide range of services, including a library, a scholarly journals and newspaper library and reading rooms; a medical centre; the UPV Press, where you can buy textbooks; language laboratories for multimedia courses; a radio broadcasting station and a television channel.

At the Valencia Campus site you can also find cafeterias, canteens, a stationer's, a bookshop, a travel agent's, banks, a photo shop, a sports shop, a parapharmacy, a hairdresser's, copying services, a newsagent's and many other things to satisfy your everyday needs.

What about if I want to take part in a cultural event?

The Vice-rectorate of Culture organises all sorts of activities free of charge for members of the UPV, including poetry recitals, jazz festivals, and painting and photography exhibitions.

But you don't have to be just a spectator. You can also take part in the culture workshops, where you can learn about wine-tasting, cooking rice dishes, film-making, voice coaching, image retouching, hill-walking, and so on.

And if you want to make that leap into the limelight, the UPV can give you a helping hand by offering you the chance to join, for example, its theatre group, university choir, symphony orchestra or writing workshop.

What are my career prospects after graduating?

All our degrees are geared towards professions that are highly demanded in our society today. Our degrees will not only provide you with specialised training, but you will also learn managerial techniques, how to adapt easily to changing circumstances and a command of the new technologies.

According to recent surveys, 46.2% of UPV students are already working when they receive their official graduation certificate. And 40.1% find their first job within months of graduating. Six months after finishing their studies, 86.3% of our graduates have found a job and are working.

Is it difficult to study at the UPV?

Studying at the UPV requires effort, a capacity for work and concentration, but it is not so difficult if you put in the hours it requires. And, in the end, the results make it all worthwhile.

In fact, 84.8% of UPV graduates say they would study the same degree if they had to start again.

Where can I get more information?

If you have any doubts, remember that you can always ask for guidance from your careers advisor. But anyway, at the UPV's Information Office we will be glad to help you whenever you need it.