From Barcelona to Denmark and seven years of learning

In this post we present the case of Marta, a student of the master’s degree in industrial engineering and a graduate of the GTIAE. It is a good example of the long educational trajectory to which a student who opts for the GTIAE can aspire. However, today it is not the majority option.

Marta entered the ETSEIB for the first time in September 2018 and, subsequently, at UPF. She plans to complete the third year of the double master’s program in June 2025.

The option for the GTIAE

His interest in the GTIAE has been going on for a long time. Basically, she has always had a natural feeling for science and chose to pursue a technological baccalaureate. In addition, his father is an engineer and at home he already had this motivation. Therefore, he had always been interested in the path of engineering. Taking the step towards this option seemed natural to her.

However, as with most GTIAE students, Marta has many interests. Therefore, specializing from the outset is something he didn’t feel like. For this reason, he had the degree on in engineering in industrial technologies in her sights, given that it allows different specializations.

It was at a Saló de l’Ensenyament where he discovered GTIAE. From the outset, he had always been interested in social issues and she saw a very interesting curriculum. In addition, she found that the GTIAE was a very powerful combination both in terms of personal interest and professional future.

A very good experience

She affirms her experience during the degree was a very good experience. For example, in terms of curricular content, she considers there is a very good balance between the engineering part and that of economic analysis.

In addition, she considers that belonging to the first promotion was an advantage. As they were part of a new and innovative degree, the teachers were very supportive. However, on some occasions they were subjected to inevitable improvisations that gave them the feeling of being “guinea pigs”. Students had also all entered GTIAE with a very high cut-off mark. Marta had the feeling that some adjustments were needed in the curriculum and evaluations, as is to be expected in a new grade. However, there was a lot of communication with the teachers and a very personalized attention, as well as a very good relationship among class members.

She remembers a very good atmosphere at the classroom, they even went out partying together. However, Covid-19 marked a before and after. Social and collective life, especially between different promotions of the GTIAE, disappeared. With the end of the lockdown, she recalls that they organized a weekend in a rural tourism house, a kind of delayed “crossing of the equator”. And the subsequent promotion was invited, and they had the opportunity to get to know each other and it was fantastic. However, this contact between different promotions has been lost. Marta expresses the hope that, perhaps, the recently created Alumni association can do something about it.

Studying the master’s degree

During the last two years of the degree, Marta did not go on Erasmus, largely due to Covid-19. In addition, she wasn’t sure she was going to study the master’s degree either. However, knowing that there was an opportunity for the double master’s degree is what made her decide. Therefore, Marta’s choice was to finish the degree on time and go to study at a foreign university during the master’s degree.

In relation to the professional internships, Marta did them for a semester in the last year of the degree. She remembers that she was also doing the Final Degree Project and still had some subjects to pass, and that it was a hard work semester. She did his internship at AGBAR. It was great with her mentor at AGBAR, and she keeps in touch with. She worked in the business development department, and it was a very good first step.

However, she was not clear about the option for the master’s degree from the first year, but at the end of the degree she wanted to continue more with the technical part than with economics. In addition, she also found it relevant to have the degree of senior engineer. That is why she did the first year of the master’s degree in Barcelona and, at that time, she recognizes that she had the opportunity to apply what she has learned during the degree.

Additionally, she knew the possibility of obtaining two master’s degrees, studying one year at the ETSEIB and two years at a foreign university. With the possibility of a specialization in energy, Marta decided that this would be her option.

Weighing Master’s Opportunities in Denmark

The possibilities vary, because you can study at a foreign university for one or two years, but in the case of Denmark it is two full years. Marta is now finishing a master’s degree in sustainable energy focused on renewables and electricity systems. She also comments that Danish universities are more up to date than those in Catalonia in this field of knowledge, and there are more in contact with companies and with more current solutions.

Marta says that this option needs to be promoted because it is not very well known, even more so when the option of studying the master’s degree is not the majority among GTIAE students. And why Denmark? Mainly, because it is easy to combine studying and working part-time in a job. Likewise, the master’s degree can be taken at different universities (Denmark, France, Germany, etc.). Marta says that, personally, it has been a very good experience: you must get by and live in a different culture.

First, the curricular contents of the master’s degree at the Danish university are very up to date. Thus, the subjects are very flexible and allow for specialization according to your interests: electrical systems, artificial intelligence, and the like. Secondly, any European student who chooses a Danish university can work. It is easy to find a job and make it compatible with study. Specifically, if you work a minimum of between 10 and 12 hours per week, you receive a payment from the Danish government of about €850. The final net amount depends on whether you work on not and what taxes you pay. Consequently, this helps you to support yourself financially, even though the standard of living in Denmark is high.

Preparing for the transition to the job market

For a student on her master’s degree, there is a good chance of finding a job in Denmark. Marta now works in a company that makes large-scale solar parks. In her case, she found a job during the first month of being in Denmark, so she can study and gain more job experience. Additionally, there is a lot of flexibility when choosing the schedule. In the company where she works, they know the priority for Marta is studying.

To dispel doubts, we insist to clarify the economic sustainability of studying abroad for two years, given that it can be unaffordable for many families. And she clarifies the following:

studying the master’s degree in Denmark has no additional cost,
the first-year Erasmus scholarship of the master’s degree can help,
the scholarships of the Catalan Government are also there,
the mobility grants of Caixa Enginyers are also an option,
there is also a 0-interest loan option of up to €5,000 from the UPC, to be repaid gradually at the end of the studies
and scholarships from the BEST Foundation.

Logically, you must have family support. Furthermore, in Denmark it is easy to find a job and get some money the Danish government. Therefore, this is how the cost of living in Denmark is affordable.

Finally, Marta is clear that, right now, she does not want to return to Barcelona. She wants to extend his days in Copenhagen or perhaps in some other European country. Of course, in the future she is sure about to return to work and live in her city.

Thank you, Marta, for providing your case!

Good luck in your final step into job market and, sooner or later, we look forward to your return!