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Next edition: 1st part: 27 September 2021 – July 2022 / 2nd part: September 2022 – June 2023
Access and application
Access is open to candidates of any nationality who have the academic level qualifying them to carry out postgraduate studies in their country of origin, or the equivalent to 240 ECTS credits of undergraduate studies. The Master is held biennially, so candidates can enrol in the first part of the programme every two years.
The first part of the Master is designed for a maximum of 25 students complying with the following conditions:
a) University degree, preferably in agronomy, veterinary sciences, biology or any related field.
b) Knowledge of biology, physiology and statistics. Previous professional experience in this specialty will be valued.
c) Knowledge of Spanish, which will be the working language. Lecturers may speak in English, French or Spanish. Simultaneous interpreting into Spanish will be provided in those lectures delivered in English and French; therefore, students are required to prove their knowledge of the Spanish language before the start of the Master. From July to September, an intensive Spanish language course is organized for those students who may need it. At the end of this course, students must achieve a B1 level equivalent to that laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
d) Knowledge of English, since part of the Master documentation may be written in this language. This knowledge must be credited by an A2 level certification, equivalent to that laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), or equivalent level in their country of origin’s certifications. If necessary, this accreditation may be replaced by a written comprehension test of scientific English to those pre-admitted not providing such certification. French knowledge at reading level will be taken into account.
Candidates must apply for admission through the IAMZ ONLINE APPLICATION. Applications must include:
- Curriculum vitae.
- Copy of the diploma (or a certificate stating that it is in the process of being issued) and the transcript of records (certification of the subjects taken during graduate studies together with the marks obtained in each one of them). Students in the last year of their degree can also apply; they must send a certificate stating that they are following the last year of studies (specifying, whenever possible, the foreseen completion date) and a transcript of records of the subjects taken and marks obtained in the previous academic years.
- Other supporting documents that the candidates may consider of interest, especially if they have any language knowledge certificates.
At the application stage, these documents can be sent in English, French or Spanish.
Candidates who have not completed their degree yet, or who need to obtain prior authorization to participate in the Master may be admitted on a provisional basis.
Application period
Non-Spanish candidates: 1 February to 4 May of the year when the first part of the Master starts.
Spanish candidates and European candidates with knowledge of Spanish language:
First call: 1 February to 30 June of the year when the first part of the Master starts. Applications submitted within this timeframe will be given priority
Second call: 1 July to 15 September of the year when the first part of the Master starts
It is advisable to consult the informative brochure published when the application period for each new edition starts.
Selection process
The selection of candidates is performed by the UZ/IAMZ-CIHEAM Studies Commission of the Master, composed by representatives of the organizing institutions, based on the application documents sent by the candidates. Academic results and any previous professional experience related with the area of specialization are the main aspects considered. Given the international character of the programme, the geographical diversity of the students is also favoured.
The Studies Commission informs candidates on their admission and financial conditions of their participation within approximately one month after the stated application deadline.
Registration procedures
In order to formalize their registration, the candidates accepted must make payment of the registration fees by bank transfer, fill in the form of acceptance of participation norms, send three passport-sized pictures and prove to be in possession of a valid healthcare insurance for Spain. They must also submit their academic documents duly legalized and, where appropriate, translated into Spanish by a certified translator. Participants will receive detailed information on compliance with these formalities and the procedures to perform them.
IAMZ takes out a collective healthcare insurance policy for their scholarship holders. Other students may also take advantage of this policy upon payment of the stipulated sum.
Students from non-EU countries should make the necessary administrative arrangements far enough in advance with their closest Spanish Embassy or Consulate to obtain a visa to enter and stay in Spain.
Full-time students must register for 60 credits in one academic year. Part-time students whose ultimate goal is to obtain the Master's degree must register for at least 30 credits. Those interested in partial participation without aiming at obtaining the diploma may register for the units or subjects they wish to.
For more information on the practical aspects of the incorporation and participation in the Master please refer to the section Practical information for students.
Scholarships
First part of the programme
Candidates of any nationality may apply for scholarships covering all or part of the registration fees.
Candidates from CIHEAM member countries (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) may also apply for scholarships covering the cost of travel and full board accommodation in the Hall of Residence on the Aula Dei Campus. Candidates from other countries who require this financial support should apply directly to other national or international institutions.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, offers scholarships to candidates from other countries wishing to complete their education in Spain. To obtain information about these scholarships, please refer to the website www.becasmae.com (where you may also submit your application directly), or contact the Embassy of Spain in your country or the nearest Consulate Office. The call for applications usually opens at the beginning of December and the deadline is at the end of December or the beginning of January. Those interested in obtaining a provisional admission from IAMZ, must send to IAMZ a duly completed application form, a detailed curriculum vitae and certificates proving curriculum statements (particularly copy of the university degree and of the transcript of records), together with a letter clearly requesting the application to be considered in order to obtain a provisional admission to apply for an AECID scholarship. In their application for an AECID scholarship applicants should state that the duration of the Master programme is 2 years, so that the scholarship granted for the first year may be renewed for the second year.
Both IAMZ and UZ participate in the Erasmus mobility programme, therefore students from diverse European universities with a mobility grant may be admitted in this Master programme.
Second part of the programme
Students who had an IAMZ scholarship in the first part of the Master and who accomplish the requirements to participate in the second part of the Master must apply for scholarship renewal. In the course of the second semester of the first academic year, IAMZ publishes the basis for the scholarship applications for the second part of the programme.
In the case of AECID scholarships, application for scholarship renewal for the second part of the Master must be submitted before the deadline established by AECI (typically March). The renewal can only be effective if the student, at the end of the first part of the Master, accomplishes the requirements to participate in the second part of the Master.
Credit recognition
Credit recognition adheres to the established in the Royal Decree (RD) of 29 October 2007, amended by Royal Decree of 2 July 2010 (Spanish Official Gazette BOE dated 30 October 2007, and 3 July 2010). Candidates, according to this regulation, and depending on their previous education and professional experience, may apply for the transfer and recognition of credits in the first part of the Master. However, given the usual heterogeneity of the students in this Master, this process will be carried out on an individual basis through the UZ/IAMZ-CIHEAM Studies Commission of the Master.
Candidates interested should request their credit transfer or recognition during the first call for admission, stating so in the application form and explaining the bases of their request in a document attached. Applicants will receive instructions from the UZ/IAMZ-CIHEAM Studies Commission of the Master on the documentation to be submitted. Through this Committee, the organizing institutions will analyze in detail each of the cases and shall inform the applicant of the result and the procedures to perform.
Requisites for enrolment in the second part of the programme
To be able to pursue the second part of the Master, the student must have passed all the Units of the first part of the Master and submitted the Master Thesis protocol supported by the tutor and the institution in which this activity will be developed. In the course of the second semester of the first academic year, IAMZ publishes the basis for the presentation of protocols and scholarship applications for the second part of the programme.
The protocols are examined by a committee formed by the UZ/IAMZ-CIHEAM Studies Commission of the Master and Master lecturers, who will consider: (i) the coherence and viability of the project; (ii) the scientific-technical guarantees of the supervisors and host institutions; and (iii) the concordance between the topics chosen and previous training of the candidate, the foreseeable professional insertion and the training or productive demands in the student's country of origin.
Once these requirements are met, to formalize their registration students should make payment of the registration fee and prove to be in possession of a valid healthcare insurance for Spain. Students will receive detailed information on compliance with these procedures.
The period between registration to the first part of the Master and the Master of Science degree awarding date may not exceed four years. In exceptional and duly justified cases, special exemptions may be granted.
Mobility
Both IAMZ and UZ hold the Erasmus Mobility Charter and are active in the European student mobility scheme.
IAMZ – Erasmus Charter for Higher Education 2014-2020 Erasmus Policy Statement
These aids are in the framework of the Erasmus+ mobility programme KA103: Mobility for traineeships (work placement in industries, research institutions or other relevant workplaces) in countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme. The traineeships are carried out during the second year of the Master, as a part of the Master thesis and in agreement with the tutor of the thesis, or at the end of the second year, for a maximum financed period of 3 months. Students of any nationality registered at IAMZ can apply for these aids. Each academic year the conditions of the call are announced as well as the deadline for application. Students have to prove a good knowledge of the language in which they will communicate with the traineeship tutor.
IAMZ can also receive students from European universities. Students interested must approach IAMZ to be informed of the study conditions according to their choice, and the necessary arrangements for signing the corresponding agreements with their institutions.
On the other hand, students of any nationality can carry out the second part of the Master in collaborating institutions (universities, research centres or companies). This flexibility provides the training offer with a plurality in agreement with that existing during the first part of the programme, and reinforces the collaboration between institutions carrying out their research activity in this specialty. It also means greater diversity in terms of the topics which the students can choose to complete their training within this specialization.