In light of certain information that has been circulating with regard to master’s degrees obtained by ESADE students on completion of their university studies, we believe that it is necessary to clarify the following points: 
 

1. All ESADE Law School students who began their studies before September 2008 (when the Bologna Plan gradually started to come into force) and satisfactorily completed all five academic years obtained the ESADE–Ramon Llull University Bachelor in Law. Likewise, these same students were recognised as having obtained a Master in Law from ESADE (a private qualification issued by the institution). 

 

2. The attribution by ESADE of “Master” status, by means of a private qualification, to students who completed their studies under the original text of the Organic Law on Universities 6/2001, of 21st December, was legally possible because, pursuant to said text, the “Master” qualification did not form part of the Spanish university education system. Article 37 of said law, which was in force at the time, recognised only the following qualifications: diplomado universitario, arquitecto técnico, ingeniero técnico, licenciado, arquitecto, ingeniero and doctor. “Master” was a legislatively atypical qualification that a good number of private institutions awarded at the time. 

 

3. In the case of ESADE Law School, the decision to award this additional qualification was justified by the inclusion of complementary business and economic subjects in the school’s undergraduate curriculum. Specifically, the curriculum included an introduction to macroeconomics in the first year, an introduction to microeconomics in the second year, an expanded subject on accounting and another on marketing in the third year, and subjects on finance and capital transactions in the fourth and fifth years. In addition, there were also expansions in key subjects such as commercial law (three years rather than the usual two), tax law (two years rather than one), criminal law (with the addition of economic criminal law) and private international law (two years rather than one), as well as a course on negotiation skills. 

 

4. It was only after the reform of the Organic Law on Universities came into force in April 2007 that the qualification of “Master” was incorporated into the Spanish legislation on higher education and established, thereinafter, the structuring of university education in “Bachelor”, “Master” and “Doctorate” programmes. With this reform, Spain began its integration into the so-called Bologna Plan. When this legislation came into force, “Master” became a regulated qualification and ESADE stopped awarding it as a private qualification. ESADE now only awards “Master” as an institution-specific qualification by means of Ramon Llull University, in accordance with its specific regulations.