VSMA framework

The Framework for the Verification, Monitoring, Modification and Accreditation of Official Degrees (VSMA in Catalan and Spanish) connects these quality assessment processes, which take place throughout the lives of the programmes, with the aims of establishing coherent links between them and promoting greater efficiency in their management. 

For more information on the VSMA Framework, click the following link to AQU's website.

New degrees are promoted by the governing bodies of the URV's faculties and schools, in accordance with the URV's Map of Degrees and the needs of society.

The implementation of new degrees requires the approval of the URV's academic programming proposal, the authorisation of the General Directorate of Universities and a favourable verification of the degree report proposal. Verification is the process by which the degree report proposal is submitted for evaluation by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency, to ensure the quality and adequacy of the proposals for Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

Once the degree has been internally approved, and validation is received from the DGU and AQU Catalunya, the Council of Ministers establishes the official nature of the degree and registers it in the Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT in Spanish).
 

On an annual basis, Schools and Faculties must reflect on the results and development of their degrees. Based on this refection, a monitoring report is drawn up, which may be at the faculty or programme level.

Monitoring has two main objectives:

• To be a useful tool for the university management that enables them to evaluate the development of the URV's degrees through the analysis of data and indicators, and the creation, if necessary, of improvement proposals to correct the deviations detected between the original design of the degree and the actual manner in which it is delivered. 
• To provide the basis for accreditation, in the sense that the accreditation is the culmination of the monitoring process. The idea is to understand these two processes as one: a process of continuous improvement that culminates in the external validation of the results achieved. 
   

Changes made to degrees are the result of the process of reflection and analysis that comes from monitoring. Changes can be classified in one of the two following ways:

• Non-substantial modifications: Minor changes that improve the degree and that the University can implement as the result of the monitoring process. These changes are included in the monitoring report and incorporated into the degree report when the degree has to undergo a modification process.
• Substantial modifications: Changes in the verified degree that lead to alterations to its structure or to its nature and objectives. These can be subdivided into two further types:
  • Allowable modifications: Changes that affect the structure of the degree but do not entail a change in its nature and objectives. These changes are requested through the modification process. 
  • Non-allowable modifications: Substantial changes that affect the nature and objectives of the verified degree and that cannot be requested through the modification process. These changes can only be made effective by requesting verification of a new degree and terminating the existing degree.

Accreditation of degrees is done by AQU Catalunya 6 years after their verification. Accreditation is obtained by submitting of a self-evaluation report and being inspected by an external Committee that issues a final report. If the accreditation is favourable, the degree may continue. Otherwise, the degree will have to enter a period of termination.

The aim of the accreditation process is to check if the degree is being carried out as planned in the verification process, and its objectives are:

• To ensure the quality of the training programmes, in accordance with the established levels of qualification and the criteria of the regulations in force. 
• To guarantee valid and reliable information that helps the users of the university system to make decisions.
• To facilitate internal quality improvement processes for the programmes and services delivered by the universities. 
• To integrate the verification process derived from the proposal of substantial modifications.

(updated: March 2023, results until academic year 2021-22)

Additional dimensions in accreditation

In 2014, AQU Catalunya promoted the "additional dimensions in accreditation" quality label, with the aim of highlighting the added value of Catalan University Degrees. AQU offers the possibility of evaluating, once programmes have passed the accreditation process, the following three additional dimensions: 

• Entry into work and employment outcomes
• Internationalisation
• Research-teaching linkages 

In the case of the URV, four programmes, two Bachelor's and two Master's Degrees from the Faculty of Chemistry, have obtained recognition in "Research-teaching linkages" in their highest degree "accreditation with excellence". 

For more information on the additional dimensions in accreditation, click the following link to AQU's website: 

International accreditation (labels)

The URV has decided to take the next step in the accreditation of programmes, and, therefore, supports its Schools and Faculties in the possibility of obtaining an international quality seal (label) with recognised international prestige, both for future students and employers. Obtaining these labels is a commitment to the international positioning of our institution.

Currently, two Schools have this international accreditation. Specifically, the Technical School of Engineering has the EUR-ACE® seal for two Bachelor Degrees and the Euro-inf seal for the Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering. In addition, the Technical School of Chemical Engineering has the EUR-ACE® seal for four programmes, two Bachelor's and two Master's Degrees.