[Muggle Studies]: Portuguese Higher Education System

Portuguese Higher Education System


The portuguese school system is ruled by the Framework Law on the Education System (Law nr. 46/86, dated 14 October 1896) which establishes the general legal framework of the Education System. According to this Law, the educational system comprises three levels: basic, secondary and higher education. Basic education is universal, compulsory and free and comprises three cycles. The first cycle lasts for four years, the second lasts for two years and the third last for three years. Pre-school education is optional and is for children between the ages of 3 and the age of entering the basic education. Secondary education is not compulsory and it comprises a 3 year cycle (corresponding to 10th, 11th and 12th year of schooling). However, we will be focusing on the third level: higher education, which is divided into 3 degress – Licenciado, Mestre and Doutor.

General regime to access higher education

National and foreign students wishing to apply through the general regime to the first cycle of studies, must fulfil the following conditions: have successfully completed a secondary course or a national or foreign qualification legally equivalent; have set for the entrance examinations required for the degree programme the student wishes to attend and get the minimal mark required (There are higher education institutions that accept foreign tests or exams); have fulfilled the prerequisites for the higher education course the student wishes to attend, if required.

Special Competitions

Besides the general regime and the special conditions there are also special competitions for applicants with certain specific qualifications thus allowing new publics to accede to higher education in a perspective of lifelong learning, namely: applicants over 23 years old who have passed a especial exam for assessing their capacity to accede to higher education; holders of a specialization technological course.

Higher Education Structure

Higher education includes university and polytechnic education. University education is offered by public, private and cooperative university institutions and polytechnic is offered by public, private and cooperative non-university institutions. Private higher education institutions must be subject to the previous recognition of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education.

“Licenciado” degree

Both university and polytechnic institutions confer the degree of “licenciado” (bachelor). In polytechnic education, the cycle of studies that leads to the degree of “licenciado” has 180 credits and a normal length of six curricular semesters of students’ work. In certain cases namely those covered by international legislation or by European legislation, the cycle of studies can have up to 240 credits with a normal length of up to seven or eight curricular semesters of students’ work.

“Mestre” degree

Both university and polytechnic institutions confer the degree of “mestre” (master). The cycle of studies that leads to the degree of “mestre” has 90 to 120 credits and a normal length between three to four curricular semesters of students’ work. In polytechnic education, the cycle of studies that leads to the “mestre” degree must ensure predominantly that the student acquires a professional specialization, while university education must ensure that the student acquires academic specialization resorting to research, innovation or expansion of professional competences. The degree of “mestre” is conferred to those that, after concluding all the curricular units that integrate the study programme of the mestrado course, have obtained the established number of credits, as well as successfully defended in public their dissertation, their project work or their traineeship.

“Doutor” degree

The Doutor (doctor) degree is only conferred by university institutions. The degree of Doutor is conferred to those that, after concluding all the curricular units that integrate the study programme of the Doutoramento (doctorate) course have successfully defended their thesis in the public act.

Classification System

The degrees of “licenciado” and “mestre” shall have a final classification between 10 and 20 on a numerical scale of 0 to 20, as well as its equivalent in the European scale of comparability of classifications. The academic degree of “doutor” is assigned a final classification pursuant to the regulating standards approved by the university that confers it.

Wordcount: 662 words
Class based on: Education in the Muggle World
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Portugal
http://www.country-studies.com/portugal/education.html
http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/porco.htm
http://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt.aspx