The offer of master’s degrees in Spain is increasingly numerous and dynamic. Only last year, according to data recorded by the Ministry of Universities, 3,735 specialized training courses of this type were given. Of these, the most in-demand are those related to Social and Legal Sciences (1,575), which account for more than 40% of the total master’s degrees offered, followed by Engineering and Architecture (827); Health Sciences (549); Arts and Humanities (429) and Sciences (355).
The labor market is changing rapidly and each year calls for new skills and knowledge. “We are in an environment of accelerated social changes and professional opportunities that affect the labor market,” explains Félix Suárez, director of the Postgraduate and Permanent Training School of the Francisco de Vitoria University. “For this reason, the acquisition of new knowledge, methodologies, techniques and disciplines is essential for the best performance and adaptation to said changes.”
Universities and educational centers are forced to adapt, course after course, their offer of master’s degrees to the trends imposed by social changes and current affairs. “The master’s degrees take into account the new skills and needs that the new environment and new jobs are generating,” explains María Pilar Delgado Hito, vice-rector for Academic Policy and Quality at the University of Barcelona.
“The areas that are currently demanding specialized profiles can be big data, cybersecurity, blockchain, digital marketing or renewable energies,” says Jesús Guodemar, director of Admissions at Camilo José Cela University. “Or master’s degrees with high employability, that offer contacts with the company and that include internships,” he adds.
Along these lines, training courses that have active professionals as teachers or that include networking sessions or masterclasses with industry experts are more in demand. As for the content, as Jesús Guodemar explains, “it must be oriented directly to the future.”
Among the trends that are gaining ground, there are more open-ended courses that are taught between two or more universities, as is the case with the University of Barcelona. “These degrees are usually part of the Catalan university system, although more and more this offer is carried out within the framework of the European university system (Erasmus Mundus) and even through double degree programs with foreign European or North American universities” says Maria Pilar Delgado.
The universities have already opened the deadlines to enroll in the 2023-2024 academic year, with programs designed to train profiles suitable for the positions demanded by the market. These positions are reflected in the document The Future of Jobs. Report 2023, from the World Economic Forum (WEF), which highlights that the technology sector will be one of the greatest drivers of employment in the next five years. “More than 85% of surveyed organizations identify increased adoption of new and cutting-edge technologies and expansion of digital access.”
The response from Spanish universities has not been long in coming. For this reason, they are already offering training that covers some of the areas most in demand by the market:
• Artificial intelligence
Everything indicates that artificial intelligence is going to be a transformative element of the labor market. Students and active professionals who want to enter this sector do not need a specific qualification. This is accessible training for students who have studies in Economics, Law or Medical Sciences, among others, since these technologies are being implemented in a wide variety of sectors.
• Big Data
A master’s degree in this discipline seeks to offer its students the training they need to carry out techniques for capturing and storing information, analysis and visualization of large
amounts of data and identification of limitations in current information systems. Master’s degrees in this discipline, in any of their specialties such as data architect, data visualization engineer or analysis manager, have as their main requirement to have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the field of Science, Engineering, Statistics or Mathematics .
• Cloud Computing
Students on cloud computing master’s degrees study technology, business management, data analysis, computer programming and mathematics, among other subjects. Regarding the requirements to request this type of training, a degree in Telecommunications Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics is usually requested.
• Digital transformation
This area is essential for companies if they want to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. For this reason, specialized master’s degrees focus on training professionals who know how to identify, as the specialized portal Emagister explains, “the best method for choosing the best digital transformation ideas for the company or business organization.”
As it is an area that covers different specialties, students can come from different degrees. However, they are especially aimed at professionals who, according to the Educaweb portal, “have experience in the direction and management of organizations or have managerial responsibilities and wish to improve their professional work”.
• Health
The health professions have experienced a new boost in terms of demand, especially after the pandemic. For this reason, universities offer a large number of specialized master’s degrees in Health Sciences. There are all kinds of them: nursing, socio-sanitary care, sports health, physiotherapy, nutrition and dietetics, dependency, child care, speech therapy…
The ideal profile for this type of training is that of those students who come from fields of study related to Health Sciences (Medicine, Pharmacy, Biology, Biotechnology, Nursing…). Although this is not always the case, since, for example, in the case of master’s degrees in management and management of pharmaceutical or health companies, other previous qualifications in Business Administration and Management, Marketing and Sales or Finance may be required.
• Social work
Family mediation, social services, integration… are just some of the disciplines in which a person interested in this field, which according to the WEF will be one of the most in demand globally, can specialize. Usually, master’s degrees in Social Work allow students to learn about the social structure and obtain skills in legislation, methodologies, research, detection and assessment of risk situations, among other subjects. Each university applies its selection criteria, although usually a diploma or degree in Social Work is usually required.
• Psychology
Mental health is one of the great concerns of the world today and one of the most demanded professions in the market. The master’s degrees offered by universities, aimed at graduates in Psychology, cover a wide variety of areas of specialization. Among them, child psychology, holistic therapy, criminology or neuropsychology.
