05 - Portugal - Types of institution

This teaching system is divided into:
ensino superior universitário;
ensino superior politécnico.

These two sub-systems have fairly different approaches, dynamics and underlying legislation. Ensino superior politécnico in Portugal from 1979 was structured based on a binary model, covering both university education and polytechnic education.

The Education Act lays down a set of common objectives, but distinguishes between the two branches by underlining that the role of the university is "to develop the skills of design, innovation and critical analysis" (Art. 11, n. 3), while the role of the polytechnic institutesis "to teach theoretical and practical scientific knowledge and its application in future professional activities" (Art. 11, n. 4).

The consequence of a very specific historical context, in which the state network of universities and polytechnic institutes was unable to meet very high student demand, expansion of higher education was absorbed, to a large extent, by the mushrooming of private institutions, mainly universities, in Portugal in the eighties and nineties. This gave rise to the two current subsystems, one state-owned and the other private and co-operative. In 1996-1997, private higher education covered 35.5% of all students. In 2002, 27% of students are registered in the private and cooperative higher education and in the Catholic University; this percentage decreases with the augmentation of the places in state higher education.

Ensino superior universitário

Ensino universitário is available in universities or non-integrated university colleges and institutes. The ensino superior universitário is made up of:

1. 14 universities and 1 non-integrated university;
2. 4 military and police science university institutions, named the Air Force Academy (Academia da Força Aérea), Military Academy (Academia Militar), Naval College (Escola Naval) and Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Homeland Security (Instituto Superior de Ciências Policiais e Segurança Interna).

Some state universities, such as Algarve University and Aveiro University have, beside a university structure, other departments that offer polytechnic-like training in areas such as teacher training, administration and accounting, hotel management, tourism and health.

The private and cooperative ensino superior universitário is made up of 15 universities and 31 nonintegrated university establishments. Concordat higher education is made up of a university with 8 branches, made up of 18 teaching units, known as faculties, institutions or schools.

Distance learning at university level is offered via the Universidade Aberta (Open University). Universities provide courses in practically all fields of study, from the more classic to the new fields of level 3 vocational training - Arts, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Corporate Business and Administration, Law, Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, ICT, Sciences of Engineering and Technology, Manufacturing Industries, Medical Sciences, Sciences of Education and Teacher Training, Agriculture, Forestry Fisheries, Architecture and Town Planning, Physical Education and Sport, Social, Personal, Transport, Environmental Protection and Security Services.

Universities are organised into organic units, known as faculties, institutes, schools, departments or other names considered appropriate in the terms of the respective Statutes, and may be integrated in polytechnic education (as in the case of the Algarve and of and of Aveiro Universities).

Ensino superior politécnico


Ensino superior politécnico is taught in polytechnic institutes that have two escolas superiores, as well as sometimes having other structural units.

The Ordinance No. 413-A/98, 17th of July, created and regulated cursos bietápicos de licenciatura in state, private and co-operative ensino superior politécnico. This general regulation was altered by Ordinance No. 1359/04, 26th of October.

The Statutes and autonomy of ensino superior politécnico colleges, approved by Law No. 54/90, 5th of September, gives these colleges administrative, financial, scientific and teaching autonomy once the installation phase is over (providing they have been operating for a minimum number of and depending on the number of teaching staff in these schools).

In 2000, the network of state ensino superior politécnico was extended with the creation of new schools integrated into existing institutos politécnicos, in agreement with proposals made by the latter. In 2001, the training network in the area of health was reorganised by the Decree-Law No. 99/01, 28th of March. However the Decree-Law No. 175/04, 21st of July, introduces a new logic to the network. From this point on, the Nursing Colleges, Colleges of Higher Education of Health and Health Technology now become part of institutos politécnicos or universities in accordance with their location in the sphere of influence of those institutions. In the fusion processes the Coimbra, Lisbon and Oporto colleges of higher education acquire the Statute of non-integrated, Colleges of Higher Education. The network of State ensino superior politécnico is made up of 15 institutos politécnicos which correspond to 103 teaching units designated as higher institution or higher institute, three nonintegrated Nursing Colleges, two non-integrated colleges of higher education (in different areas), three polytechnic colleges of higher education (military and police), 10 ensino superior politécnico colleges into universities and three polytechnic branches or extensions.

The network of private and co-operative polytechnic colleges include two public institutes, one health polytechnic, three polytechnics integrated into universities and 61 mainly polytechnic teaching bodies, called higher schools, institutes or academies. These last ones include 10 higher schools, a higher school for colleges of higher education, 9 higher nursing schools, 4 higher health schools, as well as establishments teaching courses in areas such as the Arts, Administration and Management and Technology.

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Date: 2009
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