New degrees and master's programs: quality filters reject one in ten projects

BarcelonaFrom the moment a university decides to launch a new degree program until the first students graduate, approximately seven years typically elapse. This includes the four standard years of a degree program, but also the roughly three years spent developing the project and completing the process that determines which degrees are offered at Catalan universities. Within this process, one of the key and mandatory steps is that the degree proposal receives a favorable evaluation from the Catalan University Quality Agency (AQU). Only one in ten projects passes this filter. This information comes from data compiled by AQU, which ARA has consulted, regarding the number of proposals for new degrees, master's programs, or doctoral programs that the agency has evaluated in the last five years to issue a report certifying the quality of these future programs.

Between 2020 and 2024, AQU received 348 proposals for new degree programs, the majority of which (303) received a favorable report from the agency. However, 45 proposals did not meet this essential requirement to begin offering programs. Of these 45, representing 13% of the total proposals received, half (24) received an unfavorable report from AQU, while 21 projects were withdrawn during the evaluation process because The universities that had submitted them withdrew.

"The data shows that the Catalan university system is committed to quality and to the design of these degree proposals. We may have some degrees that don't pass the first verification, but this is also good from a quality standpoint because it means the processes are working," argues the head of the Quality Assessment Area.

Detailed reports, but not impossible

However, a proposal receiving an unfavorable report from AQU doesn't mean that the idea for new studies has to be shelved. "When a degree program doesn't receive a favorable evaluation, it can be for several reasons, such as a lack of coherence between the name and the academic level of the qualification; a poor definition of the learning outcomes; inadequate implementation of the curriculum; or the faculty lacking the necessary qualifications to teach the program," explains Huertas. He also emphasizes: "You have to submit well-prepared and justified reports demonstrating the university's capacity to offer the degree program, but it's not impossible. The figures show that if a proposal is well-developed, it eventually receives the necessary report." In fact, AQU explains that before issuing the official report, the agency sends an initial document of recommendations to the university, outlining what needs to be improved for the degree program to ultimately receive approval. After submitting these recommendations—almost all proposals received by the AQU require some modification—the university has fifteen days to revise its initial proposal as needed. This revised document will then be analyzed by the University Quality Agency to determine whether to issue a favorable report. Therefore, if the proposal does not pass the initial screening, the university already has a reference point for what changes it needs to make in order to resubmit it. This second attempt is typically made with almost all proposals that are not approved by the agency on the first try.

More Master's degrees than Bachelor's degrees

Regarding the qualifications that have received the green light from AQU in the last five years (303), the majority are master's degrees (181), followed by bachelor's degrees (114). Doctoral programs are far behind (8).

"Have More master's degrees than bachelor's degrees"Which is also logical, because specialized master's degrees are shorter and have the capacity to open and close according to the needs of the labor market or research," Huertas acknowledges, "but it is also true that lately we have a percentage of new degrees linked to artificial intelligence and security that are a consequence of the evolution of the needs of society and the labor market." pure Among the verifications carried out by AQU are also many "re-verifications" that are necessary when a university makes substantial changes to a degree or master's program and, therefore, they must be re-evaluated as if they were a new qualification. In fact, these revisions, for practical purposes, are counted as new qualifications.

A three-year circuit

Now, although obtaining a favorable report from the AQU (Catalan Quality Assurance Agency) is essential, for university studies to be offered in Catalonia, the proposal must go through a validation process involving several bodies and coordinated by the Department of Research and Universities, through the Directorate General of Universities (DGU). Once the university has internally decided to offer new studies, it must submit its proposal to the DGU, which applies the criteria established by the Inter-University Council of Catalonia (CIC), the coordinating body of the Catalan university system made up of the twelve public and private universities of Catalonia, which advises the Government. Among the criteria applied to launch a new degree program in the 2026-2027 academic year are aspects such as... response to student and social demands, the quality and experience of the university center or the rationalization of the training offer, among others.

Once the DGC authorizes the project, it is submitted to the CIC (University Council) and, if the Council issues a favorable report, the proposal for the new program is included in the University Programming Resolution. In a second phase, the university interested in offering new programs must obtain a favorable report from the AQU (University Quality Assessment Agency), positive verification from the Council of Universities—a collegiate body attached to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities—and validation from the university's own governing bodies. Furthermore, it must provide evidence that the necessary agreements have been formalized, that the facilities and equipment where teaching and practical training will take place are adequate, that the assigned teaching and research staff meet the required qualifications, and that the proposal is economically viable. All of this must be documented in paperwork that the Directorate General of Universities will analyze to verify that the programs comply with all the requirements established by current regulations. Proposals that pass this stage are published in the DOGC, and from this point, the start of academic activity for the new degree, master's, or doctoral program is authorized.

With all this, the process is so lengthy that a university submitting its proposal this fall, if all goes well, could begin implementing its studies in the 2027-2028 academic year, since the decision is usually made in March—in time to showcase the new degree at the Education Fair—and classes begin in September.

And what about within the universities?

Beyond the formal process, each university has its own internal procedures for deciding which new degree programs to offer. In the case of the University of Barcelona (UB) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), two of the public institutions that have created the most degree programs in recent years, much of the process has involved revalidations, meaning they have made substantial changes to existing degrees to update them.

“We decide, in a two-way process with the faculties, which degree programs we want to offer based on societal needs and the university's capacity. Then, all the standardized procedures, which are the same across all faculties, are initiated,” explains Pilar Delgado, Vice-Rector for Academic Policy at the University of Barcelona (UB). At the Barcelona university, two aspects they are working on including in new degree programs—or in renewed projects—are that all programs include internships and that the curriculum includes “mobility opportunities,” among others.

At Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), being a smaller university, Vice-Rector for Academic Planning Sergi Torner explains that agreements to create new programs are made directly between the Rector's Office and the Dean's Office. In their case, one of the decisive factors for opening a new degree program is demand data—not the cut-off score—but they also ask institutions and companies “what they need.” "We also look at what universities similar to what we want to do are doing to help us decide," Torner admits. Although demand is an important factor, the vice-rector of Pompeu Fabra University also emphasizes the responsibility of public universities to maintain certain core programs. "The humanities aren't in vogue, but we maintain that public universities need to offer high-quality instruction in these fields, even if they aren't in high demand. If public universities don't do it, no one else will," he concludes.