What is Mondragon Dual?

Mondragon Unibertsitatea Model

The MONDRAGON DUAL training model of Mondragon Unibertsitatea is the result of the path towards quality and excellence in dual training, based fundamentally on the learning provided by the experience of collaboration between the university and collaborating entities.

The differentiating features of the MONDRAGON DUAL model consist of: 

A long trajectory in Dual University Training

The background of Mondragon Unibertsitatea in what has come to be known as dual training dates back to 1966, with the creation of ALECOP, a student cooperative in which students combine studies and work and finance their studies thanks to the remuneration received. In 1968, the Mondragon Polytechnic School began to offer Industrial Engineering studies and from that year onwards, year after year, this training model, in which students complement their university training with experience in the workplace, has been consolidated and extended. 

In 2017, Mondragon Unibertsitatea became the first university in the Basque Country with the highest number of recognitions of the quality seal of the UNIBASQ quality agency. Subsequently, with the entry into force of RD 822/2021, Mondragon Unibertsitatea consolidates its position as the university with the highest number of official DUAL MENTION awards.

As a result of this trajectory, from 2022 Mondragon Unibertsitatea leads the European alliance "EU4DUAL- European Dual University Alliance", as one of the leading projects recognised by the European Commission within the European University Alliances programme.

Long-term immersion in partner companies and organizations

The training process in companies and partner entities involves a process of competence development and personal development that requires a prolonged period of stay in the company.

The MONDRAGON DUAL model includes dual projects that can begin in the first or second year of the degree course and extend until the fourth year with the development of the final degree project (TFG) in the partner company or entity where the dual project is carried out.

The schedule of the alternation between the training periods at the university and the partner institution can be established in the following terms:

• PARTIAL: When the alternation is daily (morning/afternoon) or midweek (3 days / 2 days).
• INTENSIVE: When the alternation includes longer periods in the educational centre and in the collaborating entity (3 months / 3 months, 6 months / 6 months).

Quality and Excellence

The idea behind duality is that both environments (academic and work) are valid as educational settings, and complementary to each other. By integrating them properly, students' education can be more complete and of better quality.

In dual training (if effective), students, through their work in the partner institution, find more opportunities for practical and meaningful learning, and also develop their employability. This term refers to the wide-ranging set of skills that people use to enter, adapt and evolve in work environments throughout their lives. Good employability makes dual degree graduates more competitive in the labour markets in which they compete.