Every year, IAAC hosts a series of events aimed at disseminating information about the institute to prospective students. Our Admissions events include virtual open days, which offer a general overview of the institute as well as an introduction to the IAAC academic portfolio.
Each Programme also hosts a series of webinars offering in-depth information about the programme structure and feature alumni stories, or project-based content. In addition to our virtual events, IAAC opens the doors of its Main Hall and Fabrication Lab for an in-person campus visit where prospective students can have a first hand look at the work spaces and digital fabrication technologies taught in our programmes.
Applicants of any nationality, age, gender, or discipline are welcome. IAAC welcomes students with diverse academic backgrounds including architecture,urbanism, design, engineering and other related fields. Depending on the programme of interest, and technical skills of the applicant, other majors will, and have been accepted to our programmes. These majors/backgrounds include, but are not limited to business, biology, environmental science, social sciences. IAAC´s programmes are multidisciplinary and are enriched by the diverse cultural, academic and professional backgrounds of our students.
Please note that some programmes may have specific eligibility criteria and technical skills requirements. Check the webpage of your programme of interest for more information.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility before submitting an application:
Submission Deadlines: Applications are reviewed in cycles (outlined in section 4.4).
Optional Supporting Documents
Optional Supporting Documents
Optional Supporting Documents
Application Results
Results are communicated within two-three weeks after the interview via email. Accepted applicants must confirm enrolment and pay the required deposit within 4 weeks of the date of acceptance.
Accepted students must confirm enrolment by paying a non-refundable enrolment deposit within four (4) weeks after receiving the acceptance letter. The Enrolment deposit is deducted from the programmes´ tuition fees.
Visit our Fees and Scholarships page to review the current Enrolment deposit fees.
Pre-courses are introductory intensive courses offered to accepted applicants who may need to refine their proficiency in the software and tools central to the IAAC curriculum. In addition, pre-courses provide students the opportunity to gain exposure to IAAC’s methodology, while also familiarising themselves with the campus and their classmates before the academic year begins.
*Attendance to the pre-courses can be mandatory, highly recommended or optional depending on the technical background of the applicant. This is determined during the admission process under the purview of the academic committee of each programme.*
The Academic Committee of each programme has the right to assign 3 up to mandatory pre-courses to an applicant.
Pre-courses are offered for the following programmes :
Pre-courses for MAA, MAEBB, MaAI, MaCT, MDEF and MRACinclude the following topics:
Pre-courses of the 3DPA program include the following topics:
Pre-courses for the Masters in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design (MACAD) include the following topics:
Pre-courses for the MAA, MAEBB, MaCT, MRAC and MDEF programmes take place 3 weeks before the start of the academic year, in early September.
Pre-courses for the 3DPA programme take place in August. These pre-courses take place in person at the IAAC Pujades campus in the Poblenou neighbourhood.
Pre-courses for MACAD are completed online during the month of September before the programme starts. Access to the recorded modules of the pre-courses for the MACAD programme will be given to students once the pre-course payment is received.
Note: Students participating in pre-courses for on-campus programmes are responsible for securing housing in the city for the duration of the program. Additional expenses associated with the pre-courses, such as travel and accommodation, are not included in the fees.
Visit our Tuition Fees & Scholarships to review the pre-course fees*
*Pre-courses incur additional fees not included in the programme tuition. Applicants who are accepted to a program under the condition of the mandatory completion of the pre-courses must pay the corresponding fees and make sure to arrive in Barcelona 3 weeks before official start of the programme if attending an in-person programme.
Note: Students participating in pre-courses for on-campus programmes are responsible for securing housing in the city for the duration of the program. Additional expenses associated with the pre-courses, such as travel and accommodation, are not included in the fees.
In rare cases, students may be unable to attend the program they enroled in. The deferral option allows students to request to defer their Enrolment to the following academic year if circumstances prevent them from joining in the current year. This way, they can secure their place in the program without having to apply again the following year.
The deferral option is available only under the following conditions:
*A deferral can be granted a maximum of two times per applicant (for two consecutive years).
* Scholarships offered for the academic year the student applied for are usually not deferrable. However, students are welcome to apply for available scholarships the following year.
To request a deferral, students must:
Submit the completed form via email to [email protected] with the subject line: IAAC Program – Deferral Request – [Applicant’s Full Name] at least 1 month before the start of the program.
On-campus students:
Non-EU citizens planning to study in Spain for a period of more than three months must apply for an “open”, multiple-entry student visa (Visado Nacionales – Visado de estudios).
Visa applications are processed by the Spanish consulate(s) in the country of residence of the applicant. We strongly encourage applicants from outside the EU to apply well in advance to allow for sufficient time to process their Spanish student visa.
Once students confirm their Enrolment at IAAC, they will receive an enrolment certificate and further instructions on how to apply for a visa. However, required documents and processing times vary from consulate to consulate. Applicants and enroled students are strongly advised to review the visa application requirements on the website of the consulate where they will be applying for their visa.
Note: To apply for your student visa, you will need to submit some apostilled or legalised documents. To avoid delays with your visa application, please start researching the required list of documents and making the necessary arrangements to secure them as soon as possible.
Online students:
Students participating in online programmes do not need to process a visa as they will be attending their studies virtually from their country of residence.
To receive a Master/Postgraduate Diploma from the University of Lleida (UdL), IAAC’s accrediting institution in Spain, students need to follow these steps:
Note: It is highly recommended that students residing in countries outside of Spain complete these steps before moving to Spain as some of these diligences might take several weeks to complete in their countries of residence.
First Step: Legalisation of your Bachelor’s Degree
Legalisation involves authenticating a document by the competent authorities in the country where the document was issued.
The legalisation process differs based on the issuing country:
Documents issued within the EU countries:
Certificates from European Union countries or signatories to the European Economic Area agreement do not require legalisation. Documents from Switzerland are also exempt due to a bilateral agreement with the EU.
Documents issued in Non-EU countries:
Second Step: Translation of Legalised Bachelor’s Degree
If your bachelor’s degree is in a foreign language, it must be translated into Spanish.
After the successful legalisation of the certificate (bachelor’s degree), the official translation can be done through one of the following methods:
Non-EU students:
International accepted students who are not from the European Union must secure private health insurance to apply for their student visa before coming to Spain. Ensure that your health insurance policy meets all the requirements set by the Spanish Embassy and is valid for the entire duration of your studies.
International accepted students can review insurance options via OnCampus (https://www.oncampus.es/en/seguros). If you decide to select an insurance plan with OnCampus, please ensure you select the “Healthcare” option, not the “Study” option. Accepted students will need to provide a copy of their passports and their letter of acceptance to IAAC, as well as select “Universitat de Lleida” as their host university in order to purchase an insurance plan.
Students should contact the Spanish Consulate or Embassy where they will request their student visa before taking out any insurance plan to check the specific requirements.
EU students:
Students from the European Union do not need additional insurance. However, they must request the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559) before leaving their home country.
IAAC does not offer accommodations for students pursuing a programme of study at our Pujades Campus in the Poblenou neighbourhood.
Students accepted into the Masters in Ecological Buildings and Biocities (MAEBB) will reside at the Valldaura Campus located in Collserola Natural Park. Accommodation at Valldaura campus is not included in the tuition fee of the programme.
Finding accommodation in Barcelona can be stressful since the number of students keeps increasing year after year. We encourage potential students to start researching options early on.
Resources:
Important! If you are renting an apartment or room via the internet or an app, do not pay or transfer money prior to visiting the apartment or signing a legitimate contract.
Barcelona is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city known for its rich history, architectural beauty, and Mediterranean lifestyle. With a blend of old-world charm and modern innovation, it’s the perfect backdrop for student life.
At IAAC, we align with this spirit of innovation. As a leading centre for research and education, we are focused on shaping the future habitat of society by providing hands-on learning and opportunities to engage with real-world challenges in a global context.
