A growing interest in mental health is fueling demand for places to study psychology, calls for public employment are sparking interest in studying law and a master’s degree, a resurgence in construction is luring students toward the Fundamentals of Architecture heading, and even a TV series like CSI could funnel applications for a criminology degree. The two public universities in the region, Murcia (UMU) and Cartagena Polytechnic (UPCT), maintain strong demand and, at the same time, foster students’ interest in studying science degrees, in the field of health and engineering, students’ inclination towards other titles such as psychology, law, criminology and architecture , which has greatly increased student applications in the still ongoing admission process.
The two public universities in the region reinforce their strong strength in attracting future students from all over Spain: they have received 20,420 applications for one of the 6,821 new admissions places for undergraduate degrees they offer, a higher number than that mentioned. last year. The demand is not homogeneous, and while some titles do not accept even 5% of students who apply for a position, others leave blank spaces due to lack of pre-registration. UMU has received a total of 19,865 applications and Cartagena Polytechnic, 1,360. The admission process is still alive and the third list of admitted candidates and appeal stage is yet to be published.
There is no shortage of interest in the headlines of health sciences. In this field, it is the first region in Spain with 23% of the total student population, according to the annual report on the CYD university system. The UMU medical degree remains in first place for another year, with 4172 applications from all over Spain in the first choice of 220 places. However, applications from students from other communities have dropped significantly, down 364 from last year. The reason, according to the Dean of the Faculty, Carmen Robles, is the increase in the number of places authorized throughout Spain, by about 700 more than in 2022, which retain dozens of students in their autonomy. The founding of the nearby Alicante College, which begins the next academic year with controversy, has also had an impact.
The veterinary medicine degree, with 966 first-choice applications for 90 positions, scored nearly a hundred fewer pre-registrations on this course. The entry of the title into the private university UCAM may have had an impact, although the decline was mainly among students from other regions in this state as well. “There is already an offer; In recent years, new veterinary degrees have been launched at the European University of Madrid, the Catholic University of Valencia…”, details the dean, Gaspar Ross. Despite the decline, UMU Veterinary Medicine has received 966 applications for only 90 places and has one of the highest marks Widgets, 12.64 at the moment.
Psychology is one of the professions that has seen an exponential growth in demand in recent years. In 2018 it had nearly half a thousand applications and this year it exceeded a thousand, which is going off the mark. “Awareness of the importance of mental health care and psychological well-being is more important than ever after the pandemic and the increase in mental health problems. In addition, the proven benefits of psychological interventions and therapies have gained social recognition and support,” notes Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at UMU, María Dolores Hidalgo. The law degree also scored another 100 pre-registrations this year, and the criminology degree, which was encouraged by the TV series, is still at its peak. “The law was very well received, with 627 first-choice applications accepted for the 370 seats, showing that no quota reduction was working,” says Brigadier General Francisca Ferrando.
Mathematics remains the profession for now, with students’ eyes set on a future of full employment featuring data engineering and artificial intelligence. For a decade UMU has experienced an irrepressible explosion in demand for the title as one of the most sought after and hard to come by. Applications have tripled, from 103 in 2015 to 333 this year. “Artificial intelligence and data analysis have made the usefulness of mathematics visible and this is attractive to students, who also see job placement as very high; Most have a job between three and six months after completion,” highlights the dean, Pascual Lucas, who also highlights the appeal of Murcian College.
The resurgence of architecture
At the Polytechnic of Cartagena, they are seeing a resurgence of interest in the Fundamentals of Architecture and Building Engineering degrees, which had been badly damaged in the brick crisis. “The demand for places has increased dramatically, 50%; Also a civil engineering degree, ”according to Juan Ángel Pastor Franco, Vice-Chancellor for Studies at UPCT. With the Rector of the University, Beatriz Miguel, he agrees with the assessment that the revitalization of construction is behind this notable increase in demand. This year Architecture registered 258 seats in 75 places It is followed by mechanical engineering, with a score of 164, and biomedical engineering, with a score of 120. “The employability of all engineering is 100% and this is also appreciated by students,” Pasteur highlights. Studies related to renewable energies are also widely accepted, although in this case they are Mostly a master’s degree.
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