1. What does it mean that MEINS is an official university master's degree?

It means that the Catalan Quality Agency (AQU) has undergone a rigorous quality accreditation of the training program, which gives it a valid official status throughout the European Higher Education Area. 

This implies:
• It has a regulated price per credit.
• It allows you to apply for scholarships (each grant / scholarship has its own bases, which specify the conditions of access to the grant).
• Access take place through a degree title (or equivalent).
• It qualifies for accessing a Doctoral program (300 ECTS credits are required, usually 240 undergraduate + 60 master's degrees).

Additionally, having an official master's degree can give you access to certain public administration jobs.
 

2. What does it mean that MEINS has a professional orientation?

Official master's degrees can be research, academic, or professional. In the first case, they are aimed at continuing their studies in a Doctoral program. In the latter case, they are oriented to work and professional practice. In the case of MEINS this is expressed, among other things, in the need to do 15 ECTS of curricular internships.

3. When will the registrations open? When will the first edition begin?

The first pre-registration period is expected to start in January 2021, after passing the accreditation phase for the new Title at AQU.
Classes will begin in October 2021.

4. If I have work experience in the world of social economics (or related), could I validate my curricular internships? What if I have already done similar curricular or extracurricular internships in another context?

No. The module of 15 ECTS of curricular internships cannot be validated for any type of work or non-work experience. The MEINS is an official master's degree and all the credits provided in its syllabus must be completed.

5. Are the internships paid?

Internships are unpaid. However, each entity may establish a grant or compensation to cover all or part of transport, food, or other costs, linked to the activity carried out within the framework of the curricular internship.