UNED is focused on distance learning combined with traditional classroom instruction (called hybrid or blended) and supports over 150,000 students.
Origins and methodology
Founded in 1972 with the stated purpose of providing education opportunities via a distance education system - in which students are taught while not being physically present - UNED awards the same qualifications as other Spanish universities and has the same entry requirements.
At UNED, undergraduate students study independently using official course materials provided online or by mail, such as textbooks, study guides, exercises, and multimedia resources. Because UNED is a distance learning university, students must organize their own study schedules and manage their time carefully to keep up with the course content. They can also attend online or in-person tutoring sessions and participate in forums or study groups to clarify doubts and practice.
When it comes to exams, students must register in advance to take their tests at official UNED examination centers located in various cities across Spain and internationally. Exams usually take place at the end of each semester and can be written, oral, or a combination, depending on the subject. During the exam, students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the material by answering questions or completing exercises within a fixed time.
Importantly, all exams are supervised by proctors at these examination centers. The supervisors verify student identity, ensure that exam rules are followed, and monitor the exam room to prevent cheating or any unfair behavior. This supervision guarantees the integrity and fairness of the evaluation process. While some courses may include continuous assessment through assignments or online activities, the final supervised exams are the main method used to evaluate students and award credits toward their degrees.
In 2012 the Spanish newspaper El País featured an article about the launch of UNX, an online platform for teaching entrepreneurship through building mobile apps with App Inventor. UNED is a collaborating partner in this project, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Mobile Learning. The UNX online courses are intended to bring technology and entrepreneurship education about to the entire Spanish-speaking world.
Academic profile
A number of factors have been cited to justify the public prestige of UNED:
All of UNED exams are supervised
Exams must encompass the entirety of the program
Students are objectively graded based on a strictly uniform test
Distance learning requires additional self-teaching effort and discipline, highly regarded by employers
Students from UNED are more likely to continue their education and research after graduation day, applying the self-teaching methodologies learned during their studies[citation needed]
In the last 30 years, UNED has awarded almost 2,000 PhD degrees.
Its international reputation is indicated in that it has held the UNESCO chair in distance education since 1997. This chair promotes research, development and documentation in the field of distance education.
Organization
Undergraduate
Today, UNED comprises 11 faculties and the following bachelor's degree studies:
College of Industrial Engineering: Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Technologies Engineering, Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's Degree in Engineering in Industrial Electronics and Automation
Faculty of Sciences: Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science, Bachelor's Degree in Physics, Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration: Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management, Bachelor's Degree in Tourism
Faculty of Political Science and Sociology: Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, Bachelor's Degree in Political Science & Public Administration
Faculty of Law: Bachelor's Degree in Law, Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Bachelor's Degree in Juridical Science of Public Administration
Faculty of Education: Bachelor's Degree in Social Education, Bachelor's Degree in Pedagogy
Faculty of Philology: Bachelor's Degree in Spanish Language and Literature, Bachelor's Degree in English Studies: Language, Literature and Culture
Faculty of Philosophy: Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy, Bachelor's Degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology
Faculty of Geography and History: Bachelor's Degree in Geography and History, Bachelor's Degree in Art History
Faculty of Psychology: Bachelor's Degree in Psychology
Postgraduate
Higher Technical School of Computer Engineering at UNED: Computer Systems and Languages, Advanced Artificial Intelligence: Principles, Methods and Applications, Communication, Networks and Content Management, Systems and Control Engineering
College of Industrial Engineering: Research in Industrial Technology, Research in Electrical, Electronic and Industrial Control Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering
Faculty of Sciences: Chemical Science and Technology, Polymer Science and Technology, Advanced Mathematics, Medical Physics, Physics of Complex Systems
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration: Corporate Sustainability and Social, Responsibility
Faculty of Political Science and Sociology, Social Problems, Politics and Democracy,
Faculty of Law: Government Intervention in Society, European Union, Fundamental Rights, Security, Insurance Law, Human Rights, Public Management, Public Finance, Public Policy and Taxation
Faculty of Education Educational Treatment of Diversity, Communication and Education on the Internet: From the Information Society to the Knowledge Society, Innovation and Research in Education, Training of E.S.O., Bachillerato, F.P. and Language Secondary Teachers, Strategies and Technologies for the Teaching Function in the Multicultural Society
Faculty of Philology: English Literary and Cultural studies and their Social Impact, Literary and Theatre Training and Research in the European Context, The Classical World and its Influence on Western Culture, Applied English Linguistics, Hispanic Literatures (Catalan, Galician and Basque) in the European Context, Language Science and Hispanic Linguistics, Grammatical and Stylistic Analysis of Spanish, Dictionary Development and Quality Control of the Spanish Lexicon, French and Francophone Studies, Information Technologies and Communication in Language Education and Processing
Faculty of Philosophy :Theoretical and Practical Philosophy
Faculty of Geography and History: Advanced Methods and Techniques of Historical, Artistic and Geographic Research, Contemporary Spain in the International Context
Faculty of Psychology :Methodology of Behavioral Sciences and Health, Research in Psychology, Psychological Intervention in Development and Education
UNED hosted several educational radio programs, broadcast internationally on Radio 3 of RNE. Edith Checa was the director and announcer of the following from 1989 to 2005:
Rincón literario: tus poemas por las ondas - Weekly poetry radio show
