FAQ

Before your arrival

How do I apply for exchange studies at FME?

Following the link below you will find all the necessary information regarding application, requirements and enrollment at the FME.

https://fme.upc.edu/en/do-you-want-to-study-at-fme/exchange-students/application-and-requisites

Do I need to speak Catalan/Spanish if I want to study at FME?

No. The faculty offers some courses in English that you can take, however the range of courses that you will be able to choose from will be much wider if you can attend Catalan or Spanish lectures. If you want to take part in courses imparted in Catalan or Spanish, we suggest that you have a B1 level or above in that language according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

You will find more detailed information about the available English courses in the following link:

https://fme.upc.edu/en/do-you-want-to-study-at-fme/exchange-students/courses-catalogue

When does the semester start and finish?

Generally, the autumn semester starts at the beginning of September and finishes in December. During January the final exams take place. The spring semester starts in the middle of February and ends in May. The final exams of the semester take place in June. There are extraordinary exam dates in July for those who fail or cannot attend the ordinary call. Nevertheless, these exams are only available for some of the courses in the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics. You can find this information in the course syllabus. The Master courses do not offer extraordinary exam dates. Find the details for each academic year in the link below:

https://fme.upc.edu/ca/curs-actual/calendari-academic

In addition, following the link below, you will find the exams calendar for the current academic year:

https://fme.upc.edu/ca/curs-actual/calendari-examens

These pages are currently only available in Catalan and Spanish. You can open them with Google Chrome and get a translated version by using the Google Translator extension.

How do I check the timetables for the courses from the bachelor in Data Science and Engineering?

You can find the timetables for the courses from the bachelor in Data Science and Engineering from FIB in this link. Please make sure that the timetable that opens up is the one corresponding to your semester. To search for the correct course, hover your cursor over the initials and the full name will appear.

When you select a subject and its timetable is shown, you will find that the name is a compound of the course initials, a number and a letter. The number refers to groups and subgroups of that course. The numbers multiple of 10 refer to groups, and the numbers with the same tens, refer to subgroups from the group. You will have to choose one between the available. The letter T stands for “Theory classes”, and L for “Laboratory classes”. On the display menu, you can also activate the options to show the classroom number and language.

Classes are held on the north campus. Here you can find a map. If you display the classrooms, you will find that the first letter and number show the building, the next number indicates the floor and the last two correspond to the classroom number.

Does the university offer language courses?

Yes. UPC has its own Language and Terminology Service which offers a great variety of courses on Catalan, Spanish, English and more languages. Find more information on the webpage of the UPC Language and Terminology Service.

Does the university have its own sports service?

Yes. There are various sports facilities distributed among the UPC campuses and a central UPC Sports Service which offers a wide range of activities and competitions. You will find all the information in the UPC sports webpage.

This page is currently only available in Catalan and Spanish. You can open it with Google Chrome and get a translated version of it by using the Google Translator extension.

Can I get credits if I take part in language courses or sport activities?

If you are a Bachelor student, it is possible for you to obtain some credits after attending the activities of the UPC Sports Service or one of the language courses that are offered by the Language and Terminology Service upon presenting a certificate in the academic office at the end of the semester.

The number of credits will depend on the type and time load of the activity. UPC establishes 1 ECTS per 25 hours; for example, for a 100 hours course the student would obtain 4 ECTS, while a 80 hours course corresponds to 3 ECTS.

The maximum amount of credits for a specific language are 4 ECTS; therefore, a 150 h course of a single language corresponds to 4 ECTS as well.

The maximum amount of credits for sports activities are 6 ECTS.

In your Learning Agreement, you can recognise a maximum of 6 ECTS from these activities. Here you can find more useful information.

Master students do not have this option, given that it is not foreseen in the program’s curriculum.

During the mobility

How do I get to the faculty?

The FME is easily reachable by multiple means such as public transport, bike, foot or private vehicle. The underground stations of the L3 line Palau Reial or Zona Universitària are both a 5-minute walk away from the faculty. There are also bus and tram stations nearby. The exact address of the faculty is C/Pau Gargallo 14, 08028 Barcelona.

Barcelona's public transport information: https://www.tmb.cat/en/home

What are the academic office opening hours?

You will find the timetable of the Academic Office and all the other facilities as well as the contact telephone and email here:

https://fme.upc.edu/en/fme-1/telephones-and-timetables

How do I get my credentials to access Atenea?

Atenea is the virtual learning environment of the UPC to support face-to-face teaching. It allows accessing all the course materials, delivering work, checking your grades and communicating with the teacher and the other students.

You will receive an email within the first days of your stay with your credentials. With these, you will be able to access Atenea. All the required steps will be specified in the email. The usual structure of the username is name.surname.

Atenea website: https://atenea.upc.edu

How do I access my UPC email?

You can access your email through most email service platforms. To enter, you first start by typing your UPC email address. Then the platform will automatically redirect you to the UPC authentication system in which you have to put your UPC credentials. After authenticating, the platform will present you with your UPC email inbox.

How can I get my UPC student's card?

The UPC recently adopted the use of electronic UPC cards. You can get your UPC student's card on your phone. Here it is explained how you can achieve this. The website is in Catalan, you can use the google translate extension for chrome to translate it.

You can use the card for borrowing documents in the UPC libraries, accessing some UPC libraries that need students to authenticate and to get discounts on culture and many more.

Is there any reprography service available for students on campus?

There is a photocopier in front of the Academic Office and another one in front of the library in the first floor. You can send documents to the printer from any of the computers at the school. The printer will ask you for identification (you can identify with your credentials or with your student card), and then you will be asked to choose the documents you want to print. The printer requires credit to work, and it can be purchased at ETSEIB (the building in front of FME). You will find more information in the link below:

https://fme.upc.edu/ca/la-facultat/serveis/reprografia

This page is currently only available in Catalan and Spanish. You can open it with Google Chrome and get a translated version of it by using the Google Translator extension.

Do you have an Orientation Week?

Yes we do! The International Mobility Office offers an orientation week for international students. They organise online sessions on useful topics before your arrival and also face-to-face activities once you are here. All their activities are free. You should receive emails with info from them before te beggining of your stay. Also you can check their website for more information here.

Where can I find help finding accomodation?

The International Mobility Office has an article on their website talking about this specific topic. You can find it here.

Other doubts regarding legal procedures, TIE card/NIE number acquisition, public transport tickets, approximate living costs and other matters related to student life in Barcelona.

Please contact the International Students Office (OMI) for any other doubts related to student life in Barcelona. It is located in the university’s Campus Nord, 15 minutes away from the FME by foot. In the link below, you will find all the contact information (phone and email), as well as the address and office opening hours. In addition, the website displays a really complete set of information for incoming students, tackling all the above-mentioned matters.

Here you will find their website: https://www.upc.edu/sri/en/mobility_office/students-mobility-office/incomings

 Here you will find their contact information: https://www.upc.edu/sri/en/students/students-mobility-office/incomings/contact-us

Others 

Other doubts regarding Bachelor's and Master's degrees.

The UPC has its own Frequently Asked Questions pages where you will find all the necessary information regarding enrolment, admissions, courses, assessment, financial aid, etc. in the Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Find the links below.

Bachelor's FAQ: https://www.upc.edu/en/bachelors/access-and-admission/faqs-bachelors#avaluacio

Master's FAQ: https://www.upc.edu/en/masters/access-and-admission/frequently-asked-questions

(Last update: 16/02/2023)