In accordance with Royal Decree 1393/2007, which establishes regulations for official university study programmes, all people who have an official Spanish undergraduate degree or a degree issued by an institution of higher education within the European Higher Education Area that allows the holder to access Master's level study programmes in that country, are able to access this Master's degree programme. People who have studied in education systems outside of the European Higher Education Area can also access this programme, without having to validate their degrees, as long as the university verifies that the degree accredits the holder as having a level of education equivalent to some corresponding Spanish degree and it allows the holder to access postgraduate level studies in the country in which it was issued.

In order to be admitted into this Master's programme, applicants must meet the requirements established by each participating university. Among these requirements, one may require previous education in some specific discipline, depending on the applicant's previous experience.

Degrees considered most apt for enrolment in the Master's degree programme in inclusive education are as follows:

• From among current official degrees:
  • Licentiate in pedagogy, licentiate in psycho-pedagogy, licentiate in psychology, other licentiates or engineers related to teaching in specific knowledge areas that allow holders to give classes at the secondary level in Catalan and Spanish language and literature, English language, mathematics, social studies (history and geography), experimental sciences (physics and chemistry), technology, physical education, arts, or music.
  • Associate degree in teaching (with different current specializations: early childhood, primary, special education, music, physical education, hearing and language, foreign language), associate degree in social education, or associate degree in social work.
• From among degrees adapted to the European Higher Education Area:
  • Bachelor's degrees in pedagogy, psychology, primary education, early childhood education, social education, social work, and other bachelor's degrees from different knowledge areas that allow holders to give classes at the secondary level before or after taking the Master's degree programme in teacher training.

Among those who have obtained one of the aforementioned degrees, priority will be given to applicants with work experience in the field of education (either in formal or informal education), and from among them, priority will be given to those who have taken the now defunct CAP (Certificato de Aptitud Pedagógica) or the Master's degree programme in teacher training with any speciality.

General objectives

• For both pathways (professional and research)
  The objectives in this section correspond to the second cycle "Dublin descriptors" which summarize the competences that students must have in order to be awarded a degree that indicates that they have completed the second cycle of higher education).

  Upon finishing this Master's programme, students should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a level of knowledge and understanding of the ideas related to education, from an inclusive perspective, in such a way that they can apply this knowledge in both professional and research-related contexts (modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6);
  2. Apply their knowledge and abilities to group work in order to solve problems in new environments and in broad or multidisciplinary contexts related to the field of inclusive education, both in formal situations (schools) and informal ones (social) (modules 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6);
  3. Integrate knowledge and deal with its complexity, as well as make judgements about inclusive education that include reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities associated with the application of this knowledge, respecting at all times and applying in professional practice fundamental rights, the equality of men and women, human rights, principles of universal accessibility for disabled people, the values inherent to a culture of peace, and democratic values (module 6);
  4. Clearly and unambiguously communicate findings and knowledge about inclusive education as well as the conceptual framework on which they are based to specialized audiences and the general public. (Module 6); and
  5. Have developed learning abilities that allow them to continue their studies (doctoral, where appropriate) in a way that is largely independent or autonomous (modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).

• For the research pathway
  The objectives in this section correspond to the first two of the third cycle "Dublin descriptors" (which summarize the competences that students should have in order to be awarded a degree that indicates that they fulfil the requirements of the third cycle of higher education). Regarding other third cycle descriptors, obviously students should be able to demonstrate their full attainment of related competences upon completing the third cycle, i.e., after completing doctoral studies.

• Upon finishing this Master's programme, graduates, in addition to the aforementioned general objectives, should be able to:
  1. Demonstrate their comprehensive understanding of the field of study on inclusive education and their control of the aptitude and research methods associated with this field of study that show that they are prepared to begin a doctoral dissertation (modules 1 and 2); and
  2. Design, implement, and adapt important research processes on some problem or issue related to inclusive education in such a way that demonstrates their ability to undertake a doctoral dissertation (module 6).

Competences

In line with these general objectives, this Master's programme aims to develop a set of competences related to the object of study. A difference must be made between specific competences (those that are specific to each one of the modules in the Master's programme in inclusive education) and general competences (those that can be developed in many other Master's programmes, i.e., not unique to this specific programme).

We will cover the specific competences in this document at the beginning of each one of the modules of the Master's programme.

General competences

The general competences (common to this and other Master's programmes) that the Master's degree programme in inclusive education aims to develop in students are as follows:

• G1: Apply attained knowledge and problem solving skills in new or relatively unknown environments.
• G2: Integrate knowledge and make judgements based on limited or partial information that includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities tied to the application of said knowledge and judgement.
• G3: Clearly and unambiguously communicate findings, knowledge, and the reasons behind them to specialized audiences and the general public.
• G4: Communicate both orally and in writing in the official languages of the autonomous community and in an internationally applicable foreign language.
• G5: Apply inductive, deductive, and analogue reasoning methods.
• G6: Search for and analyse information and documents.
• G7: Collect and analyse data.
• G8: Manage time to achieve maximum efficiency.
• G9: Critically reflect on one's own thoughts, decisions, and actions.
• G10: Behave professionally and with initiative, seriousness, dedication, determination, and independence.
• G11: Work in an interdisciplinary team and be able to take a leading role.
• G12: Have the learning abilities that allow for one to continue learning independently or autonomously.

Focus of the Master's programme

The Master's degree programme in inclusive education has an academic (or mixed) focus and offers two different pathways for obtaining the degree:

1. The professional pathway gives students the abilities they need to perform specialized socio-educational interventions, from an inclusive point of view, with people at risk of exclusion.
2. The research pathway give students the abilities they need to begin the process of researching problems related to the socio-educational care of at-risk individuals, from an inclusive point of view. In this way, the Master's programme represents the training period for the doctorate programme in inclusive education for the three participating universities, and upon completing this programme, students will be able to register their doctoral thesis in order to receive the title of doctor.

In both pathways, the Master's degree in inclusive education will be awarded if the student passes the 60 credits required by the programme.

Modular structure

The Master's degree programme in inclusive education is organized into six modules (see Table 1). The five first modules, covering fundamental and methodological matters, are worth 9 ECTS credits each, and the sixth module is made up of the practicum and the Master's thesis and is worth 15 ECTS credits.

The five first modules include three subjects, each worth three credits. Module 2--on methodological matters--is made up of 3 required subjects, the third of which is different at each university, as each one focuses on its own lines of research. Module 6 includes two "subjects": the practicum and the Master's thesis. If students choose the professional pathway, the practicum is worth 9 credits and the Master's thesis 6 credits. If students choose the research pathway, the practicum is worth 6 credits and the Master's thesis is worth 9 credits.

Table 1: General structure of the Master's programme in inclusive education (modules and subjects)

(1) Mandatory for those taking the professional pathway
(2) Mandatory for those taking the research pathway

Format, type of sessions, and timetable

This Master's programme is a blended learning programme that utilizes online support. Thus credits coming from student-teacher contact and credits coming from individual work are distributed as follows: credits from student-teacher contact make up 33.3% of the credits in the subjects, while credits from individual work make up the remaining 66.6%.

According to these proportions and considering that 1 ECTS credit is equivalent to a 25-hour workload for students, 1c ECTS credit is equivalent to 8.3 hours of contact with professors and 16.65 hours of self-study.

So, a 3c-ECTS-credit subject (like most subjects in this Master's programme) provides 25 hours of student-teacher contact (8.3 hours x 3 credits) divided in the following way:

• 3 face-to-face classroom sessions (SC) with the whole group, each lasting three hours (total: 9 hours), mostly dedicated to introducing the materials and sharing and discussing students' observations and remarks.
• 4 guided work sessions (STD), for individuals or small groups, each for three hours (total: 12 hours) dedicated to working on the practical content of the subject (group activities, case studies, etc.).
• The remaining four hours will be completed in individual tutoring sessions (T) aimed at following-up on each student's own individual work plan and their learning process.

During individual work time (16.65 hours/credit x 3 credits = 50 hours, which added to the 25 hours of contact total 75 hours per subject) students should work on the activities and exercises included in their individual work plans, which professors of each subject will go over in the first face-to-face class. These activities include: case studies, commenting on texts, reading books, individual study, etc., and will complement the contents introduced by the professors in the face-to-face classes and those that will be covered in the guided work sessions. 

The teaching of each of modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will take place over five weeks in the way described in Table 2:

Table 2: Distribution of the subjects and sessions in modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 over five weeks

Each subject (A1, A2, and A3) is made up of:

• 3 face-to-face sessions (SC1, SC2, and SC3) that will always take place on a Tuesday or Thursday from 18:00 to 21:00.
• 4 guided work sessions (STD1, STD2, STD3, and STD4) that will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
• During the 5-week teaching schedule for each module, 4 days are scheduled for tutoring sessions: Mondays of the 1^st and 4^th weeks, and Thursday and Friday of the 5^th week.

Class sessions

The 9 hours (3 hours/session x 3 sessions = 9 hours) of classes (SC) in each subject of modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are taught face-to-face, and if they are held at a university different from the university in which the student has enrolled, they can be attended in real time by videoconference from the three universities participating in the programme.

The face-to-face class sessions of module 2 are given at each one of the participating universities with teachers from that university. Because of this they are not offered over videoconference.

SCs will always take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays (see the calendar corresponding to the 2010-2011 course) from 18:00 to 21:00.

Guided work sessions

The 12 hours (3 hours/session x 4 sessions = 12 hours) of guided work sessions (STD) in modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are offered online: students must work in teams or by themselves and communicate with subject professors via the virtual campus.

There will be two kinds of guided activities in the STDs:

1. For STDs interspersed between SCs: they will be done immediately and are meant to be a "continuation" or the "culmination" of the contents that were covered in the previous SCs; they can also serve as "preparation" for the following SC. The activities will be short and concise and will be able to be worked on immediately, between class sessions. So, professors will provide the materials (articles, data, case studies, etc.) needed to do the activity. There will also be activities that should be completed individually although, if necessary, they can be done in groups. These activities will be turned in to professors via the virtual campus, and the professors will give them back to students with comments, observations, and their marks.
2. For STDs at the end of each subject: it will be an brief individually written summary in which the student clearly explains what he/she learned in the subject. Students must turn in these summaries to the professor of the subject before a new subject begins. And professors will return the summaries to students with comments, observations, and the student's mark.

Learning folder

For every subject of every module in which a student has enrolled, he/she will have a learning folder available, via the UIB's online platform, in which he/she must upload all of the activities from the interspersed STDs (those taking place between sessions and classes), the summary that should be prepared after the subject's last face-to-face session, and the activities that are done for the individual work plan. Finally, within the timeframe indicated below, in the section that shows each of the modules in this Master's programme, students should add to this folder a document that includes a personal reflection on the contents covered in the subject in question and on their own learning process. This document can be a maximum of 10 pages.

Tutoring sessions

The four hours of tutoring for each one of the subjects in modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 can be done on the days indicated for tutoring during the 5 weeks of teaching for the corresponding module (see Table 2). However, they may also be completed in the weeks following the module, while other modules are going on, until the student has completed his/her individual study plan and turned in the various documents or activities required for assessment.

Tutoring sessions may be done in-person (at the respective university) or via the virtual campus.

Supporting material and notes

For each one of the subjects in modules 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, professors should make a support document (like a manual and guidelines for the subject) available to students--via the virtual campus--and it should include the contents of the subject grouped into blocks with a detailed description of the exercises and/or activities that should be completed, along with their corresponding timeframes, in each of the guided work sessions and the individual work plan as well as the final deadline for each one of them. For module 6 a guide for the practicums and the Master's thesis will be made available to teachers and students.

 You can also find information in the subjects section. 

See the "evaluation criteria and exams" section.

In the Master's degree programme in inclusive education, the three subjects in each one of the modules will have separate one-time-only assessments. In subjects in which more than one professor is involved, the professors will assess students jointly.

Assessment of modules 1, 3, 4, and 5

The general and specific competences that the subjects in these modules aim to develop in the Master's students will be evaluated as follows:

1. 50% of the final mark for each subject in modules 1, 3, 4, and 5 is determined by (1) participation in face-to-face classes and in guided work sessions, (2) completion of the activities in the individual work plan, and (2) the Learning Folder which will include all of the activities undertaken by the student in the guided work sessions and the individual work plan along with a final report that includes a personal reflection on the contents of the subject and the student's own learning process.
2. The other 50% of the final mark for the subjects in these modules will be determined as follows:
   • In modules 1 and 4, by the group work (maximum 4 students) that focuses on some topic related to the contents of module 1 or 4, respectively. This part will be assessed, in module 1, by the module coordinators at each university to whom students must turn in the work on the date specified on the Master's programme calendar; and in module 4 it will be assessed by the module coordinator, to whom students must turn in the work on the date specified on the Master's programme calendar. The group work from module 1 must be presented orally in each university on the date specified on the Master's programme calendar.
   • In modules 3 and 5, by the work in pairs or group work, structured like a scholarly article that focuses on some topic related to the content of these modules. It will be assessed by the module coordinator to whom the work must be turned in, in writing, before the deadline listed on the Master's programme calendar.

Assessment of module 2

The general and specific competences that subjects 2.1 and 2.2 of this module aim to develop in Master's students will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

1. 50% of the final mark will be determined by (1) participation in face-to-face classes and guided work sessions and (2) completion of the activities in the individual work plan.
2. The other 50% of the final mark will be determined by, for subject 2.1 (qualitative research), an individual piece of work involving the design of a qualitative study that could be related to the research that the student will carry out as his/her Master's thesis, and for subject 2.2 (quantitative research), by the individual completion of various statistical calculations (using SPSS or Excel) based on a case study provided by the professor.

Assessment of module 6 (practicum and Master's thesis)

The competences associated with the practicum will be evaluated on the following elements:

1. For the professional pathway (where the practicum will be worth 9 credits):
   • A report from the university tutor (50%).
   • An innovation or improvement project that the student will have to present and which must include an analysis (from an inclusive perspective) of the measures for emphasising diversity in the centre or institution where the practicum was carried out (50%).
2. For the research pathway (where the practicum will be worth 6 credits):
   • A report from the university tutor (50%).
   • A report on the student's research experience in which he/she will have to specify the expertise that he/she gained by actively collaborating and participating on a group research project where the practicum was carried out (50%).

Master's thesis

The competences associated with the Master's thesis (both in the case of the professional pathway and the research pathway) will be evaluated on the following elements:

1. A report by the members of a jury on the written and oral presentation of the Master's thesis (60%).
2. A report by the Master's programme professor that tutored the student through the process of creating the Master's thesis (40%).

These two reports must each have a mark of 5 out of 10 for the weighted average of the two to be calculated.

Oral defence of the Master's thesis

Students who have presented the required written documentation within the dates established by each university, according to their regulations, will be scheduled to publically defend their Master's thesis.

Dr. María Dolores Forteza Forteza