The Rovira i Virgili University offers 48 courses in 12 centres. The Deptartment of Economics teaches in 7 of those centres across different departments within in the university. With the present university structures distinguishing between first/second cycle and doctorate programs o third cycle studies, economics subjects are present in a variety of degrees such as Oenology, Law, Fundamentals in Business Science, Business Administration and Economics. Furthermore, the Department has co-organized the Industrial Organization PhD program, with the University’s Department of Business Administration for the two-year periods 2004-2006 and 2005-2007. This program has been awarded “Distinction of Quality” by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Official State Gazette BOE 14/07/2005)

In recent years Spanish Universities have begun to adapt themselves to the European Higher Education Area. This new model distinguishes between Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s Degrees. Bachelor’s degrees have not yet been approved by the Ministry of Education, even though no decrease is predicted in the number of degrees in which the Department of Economics teaches.

The Rovira i Virgili University has begun to draw up new plans regarding PhD programs. The Department of Economics has an approved PhD in Industrial Organization and this plan has been accredited by the Agency of University Quality of Catalunya. Moreover, in 2007-2008 a new Public Economics plan is starting involving the research of a significant number of the Department’s professors.

Adapting to the European Higher Education Area means a radical change in many aspects. Examples of this are the application of new teaching methods and the greater diversity of the students that are applying for the new studies.

The first element affects the need for the presence of degrees. New technologies bring great possibilities to university teaching and open students up to a new world of expectations. Students should stop being passive and adopt a more active and participatory role. Learning becomes a personal challenge that will be met with the support of new technologies and the Department of Economics is strongly committed to conditioning its PhD subjects to this new methodology.

For its part, the non-complete need of presence and new methodologies can attract a different and more professional public who are looking for continuous professional development, and more flexible academic management. In fact, the Department of Economics designs its new subjects assuming these new demands.

A large number of students are not from the University’s immediate surroundings. Specializing PhD degrees makes it possible for students from other countries to take interest in them. Proof of this internationalization can be seen in the lists of students registered for the PhD degree or Master’s in Industrial Organization.