New Semester Starts at UIB: Campus Comes Alive

New Semester Starts at UIB: Campus Comes Alive

This morning on the campus of the Balearic University (UIB) there was noticeably more activity than on a typical Tuesday. More than 14,000 students are starting the new semester, and you can notice it at the coffee machines, in the busier library corridors, and in the smaller conversations outside lecture halls: about 3,000 first-year students are among the arrivals – nervous, curious, with too many coffee cups in hand.

What Changes: Three New Master’s Programs

This semester there are three newly launched master's programs: Social Work in Healthcare, Environmental Radiology, and Global Health. The programs are intended, according to the university, to close current gaps and prepare students for professions that are becoming increasingly important on the islands. Today we met many students who said that is exactly what they were looking for – short sentences, big plans.

Bachelor in Marine Sciences Coming Next Year

Especially exciting for the island is the announcement: starting next year, a Bachelor in Marine Sciences will be offered. The Faculty of Science is planning a new building for it. Construction start date has not yet been officially set, but local political discussions are already underway. A new Institute for Marine Research would not only be an academic enrichment – it could also bring research and the local economy closer together.

On campus you can feel a mix of optimism and pragmatism. Students talk about housing, part-time jobs in cafes in the old town, and how to balance study and life on Mallorca. A student who picked up her timetable today laughed: “I hope for fewer online lectures and more real meetings – and some sunny breaks between seminars.”

The University itself emphasizes that the expansions are not just about numbers. It is about new research priorities, more practical orientation, and offerings for young people on the Balearics. Whether the new building for the sciences will arrive on time and how quickly the Marine Sciences bachelor's will start remains to be seen – but the direction is clear: UIB intends to grow and adapt to the needs of the region.

For the coming weeks, that means: full lecture halls, lively corridors, and more voices on campus again. Those studying at UIB now or taking a look around quickly notice: something is happening here – grounded, measured, with a view of the sea.