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.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
EN 
CS
DE
ES
FR
HU
IT
PL
PT
РУ
SK
TR
УК
AR
中文
