UIB expands: Six new bachelor's degrees aim to keep students and professionals on Mallorca

UIB expands: Six new bachelor's degrees aim to keep students and professionals on Mallorca

There has been more movement on the University of the Balearic Islands campus in recent days. Not only the delivery drivers speeding past the cafés early in the morning, but also study planning has picked up pace: Education Minister Antoni Vera and Rector Jaume Carot presented a package of six new bachelor's programmes that will significantly expand the range of subjects available on the island.

At its core, this is about two goals that are often mentioned side by side here in Palma: keeping young people on the island and closing gaps in the labour market. Concretely, from the academic year 2026/27 two programmes are to be offered: a bachelor's in Marine Sciences and a double degree in Mathematics and Physics. According to the announcement, these two will start first; other subjects will follow step by step.

Additional offers are scheduled at the earliest for 2027/28: Architecture, Mechanical Engineering with a nautical focus, a programme to train teachers in science and technology, and a two-subject bachelor's in Catalan and English. The selection sounds like a mix of practical training for the labour market and an attempt to strengthen linguistic and cultural skills.

Why this matters becomes clear on a walk through the city: in front of small eateries along the Passeig and in the streets around the university young people meet, discuss internships at local companies or consider whether they have to move to the mainland to study. Every programme offered here increases the chance that these conversations will lead not to leaving the island, but to the start of a career in Mallorca.

Marine Sciences fit the island well: research into marine ecosystems, coastal protection or sustainable fisheries has a direct connection to local life. Mathematics and Physics combined are a solid foundation for technical and scientific professions in demand on the islands — from engineering to research in renewable energy.

The planned training routes for teachers in STEM subjects could have a double benefit: better preparation for future teachers means in the long term more pupils interested in the sciences. This is not a quick fix, but an investment in the coming years — and schools are a social focal point in many villages.

The nautical focus in Mechanical Engineering also has practical reasons. Boat operations, marinas and the maritime economy in Mallorca rely on technical staff with specialised knowledge. If young people can acquire this qualification locally, the likelihood of qualified professionals leaving decreases.

What is still missing in the discussions around the announcement are concrete bridges into professional life. Which partnerships with ports, shipyards, schools or research institutions are planned? And how will the UIB reach students from smaller communities or with fewer resources? These are questions often discussed locally at café tables or bakeries when parents think about their children's study options.

A practical suggestion would be to already include dual modules, internships and joint projects with local partners. Student labs in partnership with schools, guest lecturers from shipyards or joint field projects on the coast could early on demonstrate how theory and practice fit together. Such connections also make it easier to decide to study locally.

For the island's economy the expanded offer means opportunities: more researchers, more technical specialists and more teachers with STEM skills — all building blocks with long-term effects. For students it means more choices without having to move, more prospects close to family and friends.

In the end there remains a feeling you sense in Palma's streets when the tram squeaks and the wind blows in from the sea: the UIB is betting on growth with a local focus. Whether the package really meets expectations will depend on implementation — on partnerships, funding and whether practical offers are made sufficiently visible early on. For Mallorca, however, the announcement is first and foremost a call to take advantage of the substantive opportunities and to build bridges between study and everyday life.