The new academic year at the University of Zaragoza brings changes in Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel, both for those beginning their university studies this September and for students who were already enrolled. Some developments directly affect exams and resits; others expand the range of bachelor's and master's degrees or allow students to create more flexible academic pathways.
TWO DIFFERENT CALENDARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZARAGOZA
One of the main changes for the 2026-2027 academic year at Unizar will concern the calendar. For the first time, two models will coexist depending on when resit exams are held. Under the general model, resits for subjects failed during the academic year are concentrated at the end of the second semester. By contrast, the so-called successive model allows students to retake first-semester subjects immediately after the regular exams, during January and early February.
This new successive model will be used by the School of Engineering and Architecture (EINA), the Faculty of Social and Labour Sciences, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Economics and Business, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Zaragoza; the Faculty of Business and Public Management in Huesca; and the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences in Teruel. The remaining centers will continue with the general model. The university will subsequently analyze the results of both systems to assess their impact on student performance.
MEDICINE BEGINS IN TERUEL
The start of classes will also bring an unprecedented scene to the Teruel Campus. Medicine will be taught in the province for the first time, with an expected 45 first-year students. The rollout will be gradual: the first two years of the degree will initially be taught in Teruel, after which students will continue their studies at the Zaragoza campus from the third year onward.
The new degree has another distinctive feature. Classes will be held at Hospital Obispo Polanco, making Teruel the first site in Aragon where Medicine degree studies are delivered inside a hospital. The aim is to bring future doctors into contact with the healthcare environment from the outset while also strengthening the center's teaching and research activities.
THE FIRST FULLY ENGLISH-TAUGHT DEGREE AND TWO THAT HAVE BEEN MERGED
Zaragoza is also launching a new degree. This academic year, the Faculty of Economics and Business is introducing the Bachelor in International Business, the first degree at the University of Zaragoza to be taught entirely in English. The new program has 75 places and focuses on areas such as business management, economics, finance and marketing from an international perspective. In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must demonstrate at least a B2 level of English or equivalent.
Another addition can be found at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. This September marks the launch of HispaClás, a new joint program that allows students to study Hispanic Philology and Classical Studies simultaneously. The program lasts five years, totals 334 credits and concludes with students obtaining both university degrees. Five places have been offered for new students for its launch in 2026-2027.
STUDYING SUBJECTS FROM OTHER DEGREES
Flexibility will be another key feature of the academic year. Students enrolled in Unizar degree programs adapted to Royal Decree 822/2021 will be able to take 6 or 12 optional ECTS credits in subjects belonging to other degrees at the University of Zaragoza, provided that their study plan allows it.
This means that university students will be able to complete part of their education outside the usual offerings of their own degree by choosing subjects from other programs. Unizar has approved a specific offering of interdisciplinary subjects for the 2026-2027 academic year, with a limited number of places that will be updated each year.
EINA TESTS THE SAME MODEL AMONG ITS MASTER'S DEGREES
The School of Engineering and Architecture will take this idea a step further with a pilot project for interdisciplinary electives among master's degrees. Students on certain EINA postgraduate programs will be able to use part of their optional credits to choose subjects belonging to other master's degrees offered by the school.
The initiative begins this academic year with five places per subject, and students' average academic record will be used to rank applications when there are more candidates than places. The aim is for students from different engineering specializations to incorporate knowledge from other fields into their education.
SIX NEW MASTER'S DEGREES FOR THE 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR
The University of Zaragoza's academic offering will be expanded this September with six new university master's degrees. They are Research in Artistic Practice; Physics of the Universe: Cosmology, Astrophysics, Particles and Astroparticles; Advanced Materials; Occupational Risk Prevention; Technologies for Digital Health; and Agri-food Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
With all these developments, the University of Zaragoza's 2026-2027 academic year begins with changes that go beyond adding new degrees. The possibility of retaking subjects in January at certain centers, studying subjects from other degrees or sharing training across different master's programs marks the start of an academic year featuring new educational models on the Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel campuses.
