The UAB enjoys a key position in the European university system and is committed to the construction of the Europe of Knowledge. Acknowledged both for the excellence of the research and for the quality of its teaching, it is a reference point in the European university environment. With 40,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, 5,000 lecturers, researchers and administration and services staff, the UAB is a university where studying, teaching, researching and living are made easy.
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) came into being in 1968, in the last years of the Franco dictatorship. The founders were a group of lecturers who were firm believers in the defence of freedom and human rights. In its 40 years of history, the UAB has grown into one of Europes leading universities.
Teaching at the UAB is high-quality, flexible, and adapted to the needs of society. The University offers undergraduate studies in the Health Sciences, Experimental Sciences and Biosciences, Engineering, Social and Human Sciences and the Arts. Its 15 faculties and university schools are fully equipped, modern centres with specialized libraries, laboratories, practicals rooms, computer rooms and areas set aside for study. Students are allowed considerable flexibility in selecting their study itineraries: in addition to the mandatory, core, and optional subjects that make up each degree, students choose a number of what are known as university subjects which are closely adapted to their interests and are taught on campus. The University is among the leaders in the design of European postgraduate courses, in terms of the quality and diversity of the programs on offer (masters degrees, postgraduate diplomas, specialization courses and doctorates) which prepare students for the challenges ahead in their professional careers. The UAB has 220 masters courses (counting both official programs and its own programs) 400 lifelong learning courses and 85 doctoral courses. Its doctoral studies train highly specialized teaching and research staff and in fact their quality is reaffirmed year after year, since the UAB is one of the universities that receives most menciones de calidad awarded by the Ministry of Education in recognition of academic excellence. The high standards and the innovative nature of the research at the UAB have made it a breeding ground for top level scientists.
According to the journal Popular Science, in 2008 the UAB was Spains highest ranking public university in terms of scientific production. Research is a fundamental element in the life of the university, acknowledged for its excellence both in Spain and abroad, the UABs research activity is closely linked to the productive sector and is at the service of society. The Universitys ideal location in one of Catalonias most important poles of technological development, its funding policy, and its active cooperation with leading technology firms, public and private institutions, and applied technology research centres have established it as a pioneer research institution. The presence on the campus of front-line research centres guarantees the interaction and constant flow of experience and knowledge.
The UAB is well aware of the educational needs of the disabled and the importance of integrating them fully into university life. It offers free registration to disabled students and has a number of support programs and associations that help them to make the most of their time at the university. The Program for the Integration of Students with Special Needs (PIUNE) is responsible for guaranteeing the equality of educational opportunity at the UAB. The volunteer program also runs integration and support programs for people with disabilities, support for students in prison and hospital volunteer work, as well as activities to promote peace and disarmament, sport, and culture. The UAB considers it a priority to strengthen the ties between the university and the business world. The Postgraduate School runs courses adapted to the specific needs of companies and designs made-to-measure training programs. Working together with other public and private entities, this school offers training programs for company staff.
The UAB participates in the main international programs for the exchange of students and lecturers and cooperates actively with universities and research centres all over the world, especially in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
The UABs main campus is in Bellaterra, near the town of Cerdanyola del Vallès. It has two more campuses: one in Barcelona, and another in Sabadell. The main campus was purpose-built for university life and brings together all the academic, cultural and social activities in the same setting, in fact, the campus is a city in itself. The UAB-Language Service teaches courses in the worlds major languages, and the Careers Guidance Service gives advice to students seeking work by offering courses, job search service, university-company cooperation programs, and so on. On the campus is the Vila Universitària (the University Village), an apartment complex with room for almost two thousand people. There is a health service offering care in dentistry, gynaecology, and psychology and a vaccination unit, and a sports service that organizes activities and championships, with two swimming-pools, a gym, tennis, paddle and volleyball courts, a multi-use sports field and climbing walls. There are cultural groups in music, theatre, dance and art, and cinema, theatre and exhibition halls. The UAB even has its own annual festival.
a) The UAB has a campus of its own in Bellaterra, in a beautiful natural setting and a genuinely university atmosphere, only 25 minutes from the centre of Barcelona, b) It is the first-ranking Spanish public university in scientific production, according to the journal Popular Science, c) It has a dynamic Science Park on the campus, together with the faculties and schools, d) Its postgraduate program is among the best, and the widest-ranging, in Europe.