From application periods and admission requirements to tuition details, life in Barcelona, and what to expect after admission, this page is your first step toward joining our student community!
IAAC’s online Application Portal streamlines the admissions process, allowing you to submit documents, track your application, and receive important updates from our admissions team in one place.
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.
IAAC welcomes applicants of all nationalities, ages, genders, and disciplines. Our programmes are multidisciplinary, enriched by students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds, including architecture, urbanism, design, engineering, and related fields. Depending on the programme and the applicant’s technical skills, majors such as business, biology, environmental science, and social sciences may also be considered.
Some programmes have specific eligibility criteria and technical requirements—please check the webpage of your programme of interest for details.
Applicants must meet the following requirements before applying:
Optional Supporting Documents:
IAAC accepts applications on a rolling basis, meaning that applications are reviewed and acceptance notifications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. As the number of available spaces in our programmes is limited, we highly encourage prospective students to submit their applications as early as possible to maximize their chances of securing a place in the programme.
Important: We strongly advise non-EU applicants to apply during the early application periods, well in advance of their intended start date. The student visa application process, which is a separate procedure, may take several weeks or months, depending on the applicant’s country of origin. Therefore, it is crucial to allow sufficient time for visa processing to avoid any delays in enrollment.
There are four application periods to apply throughout the applications cycle:
*Applications for on-campus programmes received after May 31st will be reviewed based on the availability of places in the master programme selected.
Conditional Acceptance Offer
Some applicants may receive a conditional offer if they have not yet met academic or English language requirements. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide proof of meeting these conditions as soon as possible. Please note that offers may be withdrawn earlier if the programme reaches full capacity.
Accepted students must confirm enrolment by paying a non-refundable enrolment deposit within three (3) 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.
Important: 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, MUPD, MDEF and MRAC include the following topics:
Pre-courses of the 3DPA programme include the following topics:
Pre-courses for the Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design (MACAD) include the following topics:
Pre-courses for the MAA, MAEBB, MUPD, 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 Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design (MACAD) are completed online during the month of September before the start of the academic year. Access to the recorded pre-courses for the 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 courses. 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*
Important: Pre-courses incur additional fees not included in the programme tuition. Applicants who are accepted to a programme 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.
Students participating in pre-courses for on-campus programmes are responsible for securing housing in the city for the duration of the courses. Additional expenses associated with the pre-courses, such as travel and accommodation, are not included in the fees.
In exceptional cases, students may request to defer their enrollment to the next academic year. This allows them to secure their place without reapplying.
Deferrals are only granted under the following conditions:
Important Notes:
How to Request a Deferral:
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 (Visados Nacionales – Visado de Estudios).
Visa applications are processed by the Spanish embassy or consulate(s) in the country of residence of the applicant. We strongly encourage applicants from outside the EU to apply for a student visa 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. Required documents and processing times may 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.
