About
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a public university located in Barcelona, Spain. Established in 1990, it's a relatively young institution known for its strong emphasis on research and teaching quality. Named after the Catalan engineer and grammarian Pompeu Fabra, the university has quickly gained recognition for its excellence in various fields and is regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in Spain.
With several campuses across Barcelona, UPF is divided into different schools focusing on social sciences, humanities, health and life sciences, communication, law, and economics and business. In terms of its size, it has around 14,000 students and approximately 1,500 academic and research staff members.
Consult Pompeu Fabra University on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
Location
Take a virtual tour of the campus
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) boasts several campuses strategically located across Barcelona, each dedicated to specific disciplines.
The Ciutadella campus, nestled in the city centre, is for social sciences, humanities, and law programs. This is the campus that Queen Mary exchange students will be based in for the majority, if not all, of the semester.
The Mar campus focuses on health and life sciences while the Poblenou campus is known for its focus on information and communication technologies.
Level of competitiveness
This destination is only open to students in the School of Economics and Finance and the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (School of Languages, Linguistics and Film).
- School of Economics and Finance: Less competitive *
- Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (School of Languages, Linguistics and Film) agreement: contact academic school.
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Language of Instruction
All courses as part of the School of Economics and Finance agreement will be taught in English. All courses as part of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film agreement will be taught in Spanish.
- English, for the agreement with the School of Economics and Finance.
- Spanish, for the agreement with the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students must take an online placement test, which need to be taken before the enrolment process.
Approximately 27% of Spaniards are able to speak English fluently which means that it may be difficult to live in Spain without knowing any Spanish, especially while carrying out necessary administrative processes. Therefore, you are encouraged to learn some basic Spanish or even take up a Spanish class while studying at Pomeu Fabra.
Idiomes UPF runs Spanish courses for foreign students as well as other languages. These courses are partially subsidized, open to exchange students but with limited places. There are specific courses targeting UPF exchange students at a reduced price.
Academic Calendar
Consult UPF’s full academic calendar for the 2023/2024 academic year for reference.
Academic year
It is divided in three terms:
September – December | January – March | April – June
Each term consists of 10 weeks of classes and 2 weeks for the exams.
Students going abroad for a full year will attend all three terms. Students going abroad for the autumn only will only attend term 1 at UPF. Please read credit information further down the page.
Orientation days are planned to welcome exchange students at the beginning of each term. Attendance to these sessions is compulsory.
Courses
Queen Mary students on an exchange at Pompeu Fabra University will be taking modules within the faculty of economics and business, faculty of political and social sciences and the faculty of translation and language sciences.
Restrictions
Only open to students in the School of Economics and Finance and the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures.
Credits
Students must enroll on a full courseload. Students going to UPF for the full year will take 20 ECTS per term, totalling 60 ECTS for the year. (= 120 Queen Mary credits with 40 Queen Mary credits per term.)
Students going abroad for the autumn only have to take 30 ECTS during their 1 term at UPF, equivalent to 60 Queen Mary credits. Please note this is a higher workload 1 ECT equates approximately to 28 working hours.
Credit system used by Pompeu Fabra University is ECTS. Usual workload is 60 ECTS per year - 20 ECTS per term. The Spanish grading system is based on a scale from 0 to 10, where 5 is the minimum passing mark.
Grading
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UPF grading system
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ECTS grading system (approx. equivalence)
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Excellent * (Excellent / Sobresaliente)
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9 -10
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A
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Good (Notable / Notable)
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7 -8.99
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B
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Pass (Aprovat / Aprobado)
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5 -6.99
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C, D and E
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Fail (Suspens / Suspendido)
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0-4.99
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FX and F
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Barcelona, a vibrant city on Spain's northeastern coast in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, offers an exciting and diverse environment for students. Renowned for its architecture, cultural heritage, and Mediterranean lifestyle, the city provides a stimulating environment for your studies abroad. With its mild climate, delicious cuisine, and a welcoming atmosphere that embraces international visitors, Barcelona not only fosters academic growth but also encourages exploration, cultural immersion, and a vibrant social life, making it a highly sought-after destination for students worldwide.
Accommodation
Students should be aware that finding accommodation in Barcelona can be a hard, but not impossible task. Given that it is a very popular city with students and tourists alike, much like London is. However, there are many channels you can go through to find accommodation.
University Housing:
Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) offers two university residences, and it has signed agreements with other residences that give special priority to UPF students. More information here.
Residence La Ciutadella
Residence Campus del Mar
Residence Onix
Micampus Barcelona
Queen of Peace (female only).
The Application Procedure
Applications to live in the university accommodations are made directly on the accommodation website. Please see here. The reservation request system usually opens in early February.
Other housing services:
Since 1997, the UPF together with the rest of the universities in the province of Barcelona, the Catalan Foundation for Research, the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya have collaborated with the Barcelona University Center (BCU), an entity in charge of offering services related to the extra-academic life of the foreign university community that studies or researches in Barcelona.
This accommodation service allows for free searches and online bookings, it also has support in several languages (Catalan, Spanish, English and French) and complements its services with free legal advice on rental contracts. It is also possible to make contracts for short stays.
Private Housing:
Pompeu Fabra University supports the global network Housing Anywhere, which is a peer-to-peer platform where people can rent out rooms to international students.
Sign up for an account here.
The platform allows you to choose from rooms listed by local students or verified landlords and securely book prior to your arrival.
For more information, check UPF’s webpages on living in Barcelona.
Cost of living
You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Barcelona here.
Information about living costs and tips and tricks to search for accommodation in Spain can be found here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Support services
UPF has a dedicated psychological support service for students as well as an alumni network and a careers service office that all students are welcome to make use of. See the full student support page here.
Activities and Societies
Pompeu Fabra University has a range of cultural and sports clubs that exchange students can participate in. These include theatre workshops, opera and orchestra to name a few. The university Community Assistance Service (SACU) co-ordinates and manages these cultural, social and sports activities. Watch this video to find out more.
There are also a wide range of student associations. The main one at UPF is the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), which organises a number of trips and activities throughout the year with the aim of integrating exchange students into the university community and organising cultural activities. There is also the Language Volunteering Programme, designed to spread knowledge of the Catalan Language and culture among international students.
