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Master programme in Nanoscience, Materials and Processes: Chemical Technology at the Frontier Frequently asked questions, FAQs.  About the Master programme  About the PhD programme  A university of excellence  About the selection of candidates  About scholarships and other grants  Obtaining the VISA for entering Spain  About the cost of living in Spain and possibilities of working  Accommodation  Other information  Useful contacts at the URV  Summary of steps for joining the master programme in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the URV ∙ About the Master programme How long is the Master programme? The duration of the Master programme is one year (60 ECTS, two semesters) from the beginning of October till mid September in the following year. There is no possibility to start the programme in the second semester (February) at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). Is it a mixed mode (research and study)? Yes. Students will have 36 ECTS corresponding to subjects with lectures at the classroom, tutorials, seminars… and 24 ECTS corresponding to the research master thesis performed at the laboratory. You can look at the current Master programme subjects and the type of Master projects performed along the current academic year at the website: http://www.quimica.urv.cat/quimio/nanotec/?page_id=57 1 of 10 Is the Master programme addressed to research? Yes, this master programme is addressed mainly to students interested in research. The Master thesis is performed in research laboratories at the University Rovira i Virgili (URV) or research institutes such as Catalan Institute of Chemical Research (ICIQ). The Master is focused in three main interconnected areas. All of them related to the 'Nano' science and technology in a broad sense of the words. We emphasize the following topics: * Nano‐(bio)chemistry * Nanostructured materials * Chemical engineering It is specially addressed to Bachelors holding a degree related to all branches of Experimental Sciences and Technology, (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Physics, Quantum Chemistry, Biological Chemistry, Microbiology,...). However, it is open to all other students having different degrees. Can I perform my Master thesis abroad? Yes, the master offers a mobility program. Specifically for 2014‐2015, there are six positions to perform the experimental work (6 months) at Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA. Are the Master courses given in English? Yes, English is the working language in all subjects. Can I have the opinion from current international Master students at the URV? Yes, you can. If you are interested in obtaining the advice from current Master students, please ask the academic coordinator and he will provide you with some e‐
mail addresses. ∙ About the PhD programme Can I directly access to the PhD programme? For those students interested in continuing with a PhD programme, the Master degree in Nanoscience, Materials and Processes: Chemical Technology at the Frontier is the preferred way to join the PhD programme in Nanoscience, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the URV. Students holding a Master degree of similar characteristics 2 of 10 and contents obtained outside the URV can also access directly to the PhD programme. Can I continue with the PhD studies having obtained the Master degree at the URV? Yes, you can. Once you are in Tarragona and properly registered in the Master programme, you will have the opportunity to apply for the PhD programme at the URV or other Universities. Most students from last academic year are enrolled in different PhD programmes at present. How can a get a PhD fellowship? The different research groups (that provide the PhD fellowships) are willing to hire the best master students (independently of the master thesis they perform). They look at the most motivated, hard workers and well prepared students. Therefore, depending on your behaviour as a master student, you will have the opportunity to access to a PhD fellowship. Therefore, if you are a good student, you will have the opportunity to remain with the same supervisor of the master experimental work or you will have the opportunity to move to another research group involved in the Master programme. Some students in previous years had the chance to move to other research groups in other universities and research centers, where they found opportunities to perform the PhD. Therefore, our Master programme is an opportunity to perform the PhD, within and outside the URV. Since I already have a Master degree, can I apply to a PhD fellowship directly? Yes, you can, but we usually do not provide PhD fellowships directly without being enrolled in the Master programme first. The reason is explained above, the research groups want to know, in the daily practice of the lab and the classroom, the characteristics of the future PhD students. ∙ A university of excellence Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV, www.urv.cat) is a young but active university which in just 22 years has developed into a prominent institution domestically and globally. URV is ranked 66th in the ranking of the top 100 universities under 50 years old in the world by Times Higher Education: 3 of 10 http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world‐university‐rankings/2014/one‐
hundred‐under‐fifty URV also appears in high positions visualizing scientific excellence worldwide in subject areas such as Chemistry or Medicine: http://excellencemapping.net/#/view/edition/2014/measure/top10/calculation/a_oh
ne_kovariable/field/chemistry/significant/false URV is the public university of southern Catalonia and is based in Tarragona (https://www.google.es/maps/place/Tarragona), 80 km south of Barcelona. While getting all the advantages of the Mediterranean way of life, Tarragona also takes the benefits of being only 1 hour away from Barcelona, one of the world most famous cities. You can find more information about Tarragona for instance in: http://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/en ∙ About the selection of candidates Which are the steps to be enrolled in the Master programme? The first step is 1. Preinscription. This is an on‐line process beginning on March 1st. You should fill in the form that you can find in https://www.urv.cat/masters/alumne/index.jsp?idioma=3 Once you are correctly preinscribed (please check at https://wis.si.urv.net/masters/alumne/estat.jsp?idioma=3 you will receive an e‐mail from the URV indicating the steps to be done and the documents to be submitted. 2. The second step is that you pay the pre‐inscription fee (around 30 €) and provide the necessary documents so that the Executive Committee of the Master programme can admit you or not. At the same time, the Executive Committee of the Master programme will provide the list of candidates that have been obtained one of the available scholarships. 3. The third step, once the candidate is admitted by the Master programme at the URV, is to provide the correctly legalized documents. 4. One the URV has received the correctly legalized documents (this is compulsory), our University will send the documents for getting the VISA to the admitted candidates. 4 of 10 5. Once in Tarragona (before October 1st, when the Master programme starts), the candidate will finally register at the suitable courses (thus becoming an URV student) and the master programme will begin. What are the requirements to be admitted to the Master programme? The following steps are necessary to be admitted: 1. Fill‐in the pre‐inscription form on‐line during the pre‐inscription period (March to June 2014) 2. Send the required scanned academic documents by e‐mail (need not to be legalized at this stage). The basic documents are: CV, following the URV template, passport or identity card, transcript of records and level of English. You do not need sending letters of recommendation. What will be the selection procedure of the international students? All students, both national and international, will be selected according to their CV, academic records and references. The motivation and the level of English will also be considered. Before the final selection step, usually an interview is performed via Skype. Which is the documentation required for registration in the Master programme Please look at: http://www.urv.cat/masters_oficials/en_pas_a_pas_documentacio.html Any doubt regarding this particular point can be asked to our Postgraduate and Doctoral School ([email protected]). Is there any exam to be admitted? No, there is no exam. The Selection Committee of the Master Programme will evaluate the requested documentation: CV in the standard format, transcript of records, your motivation, other certificates… A skype call might be required. Do I need to prove my level of English? Yes, you should provide some document that proves your level in English. ∙ About scholarships and other grants Which is the financial aid provided by the Master programme? The Master provides each academic year a series of scholarships to pre‐inscribed candidates. Each of them cover the registration fee for the first academic year and, 5 of 10 additionally, provide a study bursary of 4000 € for international students. Moreover, the URV provides a personal insurance. This is a compromise for one year: a Master programme scholarship. Please note that this is not a full board fellowship and that, to live with dignity for a whole academic year in Tarragona, you will need some extra economical resources (a minimum of about 1500 € for the whole year). There are tuition scholarships for national students (the tuition fee is waived). You can obtain information about all types of scholarships, together with the procedure to applying to them, in: http://www.urv.cat/masters_oficials/en_beques_edpd.html When the scholarship is delivered? The amount of the scholarship would be delivered once you will have joined the programme in Tarragona, you will have been formally registered as a student of this Master programme and you will have obtained the Identification Number for International Students (NIE, in Spanish). Therefore, you must foresee some money to be able to live for the first 2 months in Tarragona. Which are the criteria to select the candidates for scholarships? The Selection Committee of the Master programme selects the candidates for scholarships according to the previous studies performed (BSc and MSc), the grades reflected in the transcript of records, the opinion of the references provided and the CV of the candidates. Can I enjoy the Master scholarship together with another scholarship? You can enjoy only one type of scholarship provided by the URV. You can obtain the scholarship via the Master programme or directly from the University, but, in any case, you can enjoy only one from the University Rovira i Virgili. The scholarship provided by the URV is compatible with other types of scholarships obtained from other institutions. Do I have the opportunity to obtain a fellowship for the PhD? Depending of your records and your behaviour as a Master student, you will have the opportunity to apply for a PhD fellowships (about 12000 € /year for three additional years). However, these fellowships are applied during your Master programme and start once you have the Master degree in Nanoscience, Materials and Processes: 6 of 10 Chemical Technology at the Frontier. Up till now, about 65 % of the master students continue with a PhD fellowship. Can I access to bank loans? Yes if you are a national student. I am sorry but Spanish banks only provide loans for Spaniards. They argue that it is very difficult to recover the loan from international citizens not living in Spain. ∙ Admission to the Master programme Can I be admitted to the Master programme without scholarship? Yes, you can be admitted to the Master programme without a fellowship. However, in this case, you should pay for all the costs: tuition fees, insurances and travel and living costs. Be aware that your personal insurance in Tarragona should cover (for the whole academic year Oct till Sept next year, and for 24 h per day) the following issues: Medical costs due to accidents Medical costs due to illness Death caused by accident Disability (partial or permanent) Cost of returning to your country in case of accident or death. ∙ Obtaining the VISA for entering Spain What kind of VISA do you need to enter the country? A student VISA issued for one year. How do I obtain the VISA? You should go to the nearest Spanish Consulate/Embassy in your country and ask for the specific requirements for the VISA. All information and procedure to obtain this student visa is available at following electronic page: http://www.urv.cat/international/vivir‐urv/en_visados‐tramites‐extranjeria.html From the URV, we will provide you with the required documents that must be issued in Tarragona (admission certificate, scholarship assignation ‐if you have obtained it‐, insurance, accommodation …) as soon as you deliver the duly legalized academic documents. 7 of 10 Be aware that, if you enjoy a scholarship, all associated costs for the insurance will be subtracted from the scholarship. If you do not enjoy a scholarship, you should obtain some documents in your own country (e.g. insurances) or you should pay the cost beforehand if you want the International Center at the URV to provide you these documents. ∙ About the cost of living in Spain and possibilities of working How much is the living cost in Tarragona? That depends very much on the residence. The minimum costs (sharing a flat with other students) and cooking yourself is about 400 €/month Must I have any type of insurance? If you enjoy one of the URV scholarships, you will automatically have a health insurance as soon as you become an URV student. If you do not enjoy a scholarship, you should contract the insurance yourself. The Postgraduate school Center at the URV can help in this process if you provide the economic resources beforehand. Is there any possibility to obtain a part‐time job at the URV in addition to the scholarship? If you speak Spanish or Catalan you can have access to a partial‐time job at the University (Becas de colaboración). The legislation does not allow international students to work in EU countries outside the University, therefore, no other possibilities exist to obtain economic support in Spain. Will I have to pay any other cost? You must pay yourself all other costs such as travel costs, travel insurance, living expenses in Tarragona or any cost related to requirements to obtain the VISA. ∙ Accommodation You have different accommodation possibilities: University residence and university apartments and shared flats with other students. Please, have a look at: 8 of 10 http://www.urv.cat/international/vivir‐urv/en_index.html where you can find information about living in Tarragona. ∙ Other information We have a group in facebook (look for the 'URV Nanoscience, Materials & Processes:Chemical Technology at the Frontier' group), in which there are current and former students. Please, feel free to join the group and ask for information from your colleagues from all over the world. ∙ Useful contacts at the URV Academic coordinator: [email protected] All aspects related to documents and logistics (academic documents, accommodation …), please contact to the Postgraduate School at the URV: [email protected] Be aware that August is holiday in Tarragona and all services are becoming very slow. Summary of the steps for joining the master programme in Nanoscience, Materials and Processes: Chemical Technology at the Frontier at the URV 1. Fill in and send the on‐line pre‐registration form (open only during the suitable period) http://www.urv.cat/masters_oficials/en_preinscripcio‐online.html 2.
Check at any time your status at: https://wis.si.urv.net/masters/alumne/estat.jsp?idioma=3 (for instance: to be sure that you pre‐inscribed correctly). 3.
The URV will contact you to ask for the suitable documents (they do not need to be legalized at this stage). 4.
You should provide a copy of the requested (non‐legalized) documents both to [email protected] and to me: [email protected] 5.
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The URV may admit you as a candidate for the Master programme The URV may assign you a scholarship To be able to become a student at the URV, you should provide at this stage the properly legalized documentation 8.
The URV assesses the documentation delivered and if everything is correct, it enables you to formally register as a student 9.
The URV sends you the necessary documents for asking the VISA 9 of 10 10. Academic tutorial with the Master coordinator 11. Formal registration on‐line once you arrived in Tarragona (deadline October 15th) 12. 1st October. The master programme begins. Tarragona, April 2015 10 of 10