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Chemistry Schools and Programs in Spain

38 schools in Spain teach Chemistry.

Chemistry

At Saint Louis University, you can get either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Career choices for graduates include Education, Chemical research and development, Pharmaceutical research and drug development, Environmental research, Materials science research, Management and administration in the chemical industry and Chemical and pharmaceutical sales. Other graduates go to law school and work in patent law or environmental law. The public health sector also provides career opportunities. Both the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science tracks offered at SLU's Chemistry Department include coursework in general chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. If a student is in SLU’s pre-professional health studies program, pre-law program or they are interested in a double major, the chemistry Bachelor of Arts might be perfect.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Madrid

Chemistry

In Bircham University’s Chemistry program, the ideas and principles of chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry and inorganic chemistry are distinctly and logically presented. Additional courses can be selected from other sections in the Faculty of Life & Earth Sciences from Bircham International University if required. This choice must be approved by the Distance Learning University Education Board. Subjects covered on this course include: Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Properties of Materials, Oil & Gas Properties, Thermodynamics, Polymer Science, Analytical Chemistry, Pollution Chemistry & Food Chemistry. The Chemistry course is available at Specialist, Expert, Bachelor's, Master's & Ph.D. (Doctoral) Degree program levels.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Chemistry Studies in Spain

Chemistry studies the composition, structure and transformations of matter. In Spain it is above all a university subject: the bachelor's degree in Chemistry (grado en Química) is taught at most public universities and at a few private ones, and it leads on to master's degrees, doctorates and work in laboratories and industry. Vocational training (FP) offers a shorter, practical route into laboratory and chemical plant jobs.

How the degree is organised

Spanish bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits, normally spread over four years, and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits, under Royal Decree 822/2021. Official degrees are valid throughout Spain. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, the grado en Química is taught by the Faculty of Chemistry in Spanish over four years and 240 credits, with 60 places for new students.

Chemistry sits next to related but separate degrees, so it is worth comparing the study plans. The Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, where chemistry teaching began in 1845, teaches three degrees (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry), a double degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry and four master's degrees, among them one in Organic Chemistry. The Institut Químic de Sarrià (IQS) in Barcelona, part of the Universitat Ramon Llull, combines chemistry with other fields in a double degree in Chemistry and Business Administration (ADE) and another in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and offers master's programmes in Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

In vocational training, the Ministry of Education's TodoFP portal lists the chemistry qualifications: the intermediate Técnico en Operaciones de Laboratorio and, at higher level, the Técnico Superior en Laboratorio de Análisis y de Control de Calidad and the Técnico Superior en Química Industrial. The last one is a 2,000-hour course.

Where to study chemistry in Spain

A search of the Ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) for the grado en Química returns 40 records, including some degrees registered twice after a new verification or being phased out. Examples among the schools in our directory, all with the degree in RUCT:

  • Madrid region: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Universidad de Alcalá
  • Catalonia: Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universitat Ramon Llull and Universitat Rovira i Virgili
  • Valencian Community: Universitat de València, Universitat Jaume I and Universidad de Alicante
  • Andalusia: Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad de Málaga, Universidad de Cádiz, Universidad de Huelva, Universidad de Jaén and Universidad de Almería
  • North and northwest: Universidad de Oviedo, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Universidad de A Coruña, Universidad de Vigo, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Universidad de Navarra, Universidad de la Rioja and Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Centre, south-east and islands: Universidad de Salamanca, Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Universidad de Extremadura, Universidad de Murcia, Universidad de La Laguna and Universitat de les Illes Balears
  • Distance learning: the UNED

Teaching is mainly in Spanish. In regions with a co-official language, such as Catalonia, Galicia, the Valencian Community and the Basque Country, part of the teaching may be in that language, so check the language of each course before applying.

Admission

Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply first to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees. Documents must be legalised and translated. Each university then sets its admission criteria according to the previous studies and the country of origin. Public universities publish a cut-off mark: for the Murcia degree it was 7.068 in 2025-26.

Recognition of the qualification

Homologación of a foreign degree gives access to a regulated profession, and chemist is not on the ministry's list of professions that can be homologated. A foreign chemistry degree can instead receive a declaración de equivalencia, which certifies its academic level (bachelor's or master's). Students who want to continue a chemistry degree in Spain can ask for convalidación of the subjects already passed.

Careers

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid names research, development and innovation in public and private companies and institutions among the fields where chemists work. Graduates also find roles in analysis and quality control, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the environment and teaching. Holders of the FP qualification in industrial chemistry work, according to TodoFP, as operations managers for machines that make and process chemical products or as supervisors in oil and natural gas refineries.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a chemistry degree take in Spain?

The grado en Química has 240 ECTS credits and usually takes four years. An official master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Can I study chemistry in Spain in English?

Mostly not: degrees are taught mainly in Spanish, and in some regions partly in the co-official language. The Universidad de Murcia, for example, lists Spanish as the language of its degree.

Do I need to homologate a foreign chemistry degree?

No. Chemist is not among the regulated professions that can be homologated; you can apply for a declaración de equivalencia, which certifies the academic level of your degree.

Is there a shorter route into laboratory work?

Yes. Vocational qualifications such as the Técnico Superior en Laboratorio de Análisis y de Control de Calidad or the 2,000-hour Técnico Superior en Química Industrial prepare for laboratory and chemical plant jobs.