Legalization of documents

At the time of their admission, and according to their nationality, those students accepted to the Master will receive precise information on the procedures to be performed for the legalization of their documents, their official translation into Spanish and the certification of copies.

The city of Zaragoza and access to CIHEAM Zaragoza

This information is available under the sections The city and Access to CIHEAM Zaragoza on CIHEAM Zaragoza’s website.

Cost of living, accommodation and meals

Cost of living
Students have been estimated to need approximately 700 € per month for board and lodging expenses.

Accommodation
Students have to rent shared flats in town. The price per person is approximately 250-300 € per month (sharing 3-4 persons). A two-month deposit is normally required. Students receive information and help from CIHEAM Zaragoza to find convenient accommodation.

Meals
CIHEAM Zaragoza students have to bring their own meal or to have lunch in the cafeteria of the Campus. The price of the meal is 8 €. As a guidance a simple meal in town may cost approximately 10 €.

Health and accident insurance

It is mandatory for all students to possess a healthcare and accident insurance valid in Spain. At the beginning of their participation in the Master, students must prove that they have this kind of coverage. In the case of foreign students who take the Spanish course, insurance must also cover the duration period of this course.

Healthcare

CIHEAM Zaragoza has contracted a health care and hospitalization policy, to which students can subscribe if they wish so, whose cost is 55 € per month (subject to review). Scholarships granted by the CIHEAM Zaragoza include this health insurance.

Accident insurance

Registration for students under 28 years of age includes within the fee a compulsory school accident insurance whose benefits are as follows:

• Age limit: 28
• Cover scope: premises of the training centre
• Duration: course, training activities
• Practices in companies: included
• Healthcare derived from accident: Social Security centres and private authorized centres (Clínica Quirón private hospital)
• Serious disability: 144.24 €; absolute permanent disability: between 150.25 € and 601.01 €; death by accident: 30.05 €
• Additional covers: excluded
• Family misfortune: economic benefits depending on family circumstances
• Travel assistance: excluded

Registration fees also include the UNIVER PLUS accident insurance, with broader cover:

• Age limit: 70
• Cover scope: worldwide
• Duration: yearly, 24 hours a day
• Practices in companies: included
• Healthcare derived from accident: unlimited in Spain, in Social Security centres and private authorized centres (Clínica Quirón private hospital). Up to 2795 € per claim in case of preferring free choice of doctors
• Absolute permanent disability: 50 310 €; partial permanent disability: according to scale, based on 50 310 €; death by accident: 25 155 €
• Additional covers: loss of classes during 20 consecutive days or more due to accident, up to 1956.20 € for private tuition; loss of classes for two months or more due to accident, if it occurs 15 days or less before final exams, 1956.20 € for private tuition and a registration fee refund of up to 2934.75 €
• Family misfortune: for accident in public or private transportation, with death of one parent: 11 180 €, with death of both parents in the same accident: 22 360 €
• Travel assistance abroad (same as in the previous cover, plus disease): health care up to 2934.75 €; transfer due to disease or injury to habitual residence; transfer of a relative during hospitalization for more than 7 days; lodging expenses of a relative during hospitalization (55.90 €, 10 days); repatriation; advance of funds in case of disease, accident, theft or loss of luggage up to 1257.75 €; theft or loss of luggage up to 419.25 €

Services for students with special needs

CIHEAM Zaragoza considers of vital importance the accessibility of its facilities and services, providing the necessary tools for persons with disabilities to accomplish their higher education. Actions aimed at eliminating those obstacles to learning which may prevent or hamper the training guarantee accessibility from the outside, internal circulation through the various spaces, the use of all the facilities and safe evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Given this institution’s structure and dimensions, CIHEAM Zaragoza can offer personalized attention to students with disabilities, aimed at providing personal support and technical resources to promote their autonomy and integration. CIHEAM Zaragoza also offers advice and technical support to lecturers on the adaptation of teaching materials and assessment tests, adjusting procedures to the specific needs of the students and thus helping to ensure the principle of equality of opportunities.

Students with special needs should inform CIHEAM Zaragoza in advance, so that the administration may study the organizational possibilities and conditions required for their stay.

Student support service

The organization of the CIHEAM Zaragoza, given its status as international institution for postgraduate education, is specifically adapted to ensure support to students of all nationalities, both before their incorporation into the Master and throughout the various stages of the training activity.

CIHEAM Zaragoza has a support service for all users requesting information by mail or e-mail, through which qualified staff tend to the consultations of persons interested in the Master, by providing the required information in Spanish, English or French. Queries should be addressed to CIHEAM Zaragoza e-mail address (iamz@iamz.ciheam.org) from which they will be redirected to the person in charge of the issue consulted.

From the moment students are selected to participate in the Master and once they join in, they are under direct care of a technical coordinator, belonging to the staff of the CIHEAM Zaragoza. This coordinator is responsible for supervising all aspects related to the organization of the Master and the daily monitoring of the programme. The Coordinator attends to problems, suggestions and claims from students and acts as a link between them, their lecturers, their research project tutors, the administration of the CIHEAM Zaragoza and the UdL/UPM-CBGP/Agrotecnio/CIHEAM Zaragoza Studies Commission of the Master.

Educational infrastructures

Educational infrastructures of IAMZ

The information is available under the section Area and services on CIHEAM Zaragoza’s website.

Educational infrastructures in other institutions in the Campus of Aula Dei

During the first part of the Master, under the existing agreements, certain specific practicals are conducted in the research laboratories, experimental fields and greenhouses of the Experimental Station of Aula Dei of the Higher Council of Scientific Research (EEAD-CSIC) and the Agro-food Research and Technology Centre of the Autonomous Government of Aragon (CITA-GA).

In particular, practicals are conducted in EEAD-CSIC on in vitro cultivation in the Department of Pomology laboratory, on measurement of the contents of photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence in the Department of Plant Nutrition laboratory, on molecular markers, marker-assisted selection and the analysis of maize phenotypic variability in the Department of Genetics and Plant Production laboratory, and on phenotypic characterization in the experimental barley fields of the same Department.

In CITA-GA, practicals are conducted on methodologies related to pepper breeding and its resistance to various diseases in the greenhouse of the Plant Production Technology Unit, and on artificial pollination and self-compatibility assessment in almond in the Unit of Fruit Growing experimental fields and laboratory.

International programmes

All the training programmes developed by CIHEAM Zaragoza are international.

Training is provided by invited experts, highly qualified, selected by their experience and prestige in each of the topics. These experts come from universities, research centres, international organizations, administration bodies and companies around the world. The quality of the lecturers guarantees high-level training and constant updating of topics. The diversity of their origin, both geographical and institutional, contributes to the dynamism of the courses and enables the students to contrast different theories, methods and results. For more information refer to the heading “Lecturers” in the section General information of the Master and to the Study guide for the different units in the section Syllabus and Study guide.

On the other hand, the Master students come as well from different countries, mainly the Mediterranean CIHEAM member countries, but also from other parts of the world, particularly Europe and Latin America.

Both CIHEAM Zaragoza and UdL hold the Erasmus University Charter and are active in student mobility programmes.

Spanish language courses

CIHEAM Zaragoza organizes in collaboration with Inlingua academy an online intensive Spanish language course that takes place from early July until the end of September. At the end of the course, students receive a certificate of knowledge of Spanish language issued by this Language Service based on levels equivalent to those laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). For information about the students that must follow the Spanish language course please refer to the section "Access, admission and scholarships". Classes take place from Monday to Friday.

Internships

In the second part of the Master students carry out the Practicum and Master’s final work (Master Thesis) in institutions (universities, research centres and companies) that collaborate with the organizing institutions in this part of the programme. This flexibility provides the training offer with greater plurality and strengthens the links between institutions that develop their professional and research activity in this field. It also means greater diversity in terms of the topics for the students to complete their specialized training. For more information, please refer to the heading Master’s final work (Master Thesis) under the section General information on the Master and the information corresponding to Units 11 and 12 in the section Syllabus and Study guide.

CIHEAM Zaragoza benefits from financial aids 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 CIHEAM Zaragoza 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.

Sports facilities and extra-curricular and leisure activities

CIHEAM Zaragoza has a small gymnasium with equipment, and a multipurpose sports court. Students may also use the sports facilities of the University of Zaragoza on presentation of their accreditation, on the basis of the cooperation agreements signed between CIHEAM Zaragoza and this University.

Students receive information on cultural and recreational activities in Zaragoza which are organized by the City Hall and other local institutions.

Alumni associations

This information is available under the section Alumni on IAMZ’s website.