Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state and a member state of the European Union. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Spanish universities regulate access to their own degrees and they fix the academic fees. They can also offer unofficial postgraduate degrees. The capital city Madrid has possibly the largest number of bars per capita of any European city and a very active nightlife.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.

Online or distance learning refers to the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. With online learning, one can access education at any time and from any location with an available internet connection.