Portugal has long been most well known as a sun tourist hot spot. And although this is true, Portugal has far more to offer than wonderful beaches and great climate. Portugal is a country with a rich culture and a fascinating history, dating back to the 13th Century. In the Middle Ages Portugal was a large power largely responsible for opening up the Americas for the rest of the world. Today it is an up and coming member of the European Union, willing to prove its capabilities in more than just tourism. Higher educations just happens to be one of them.
Education plays an important part in Portuguese history. The university of Coimbra, started in 1290, was in fact one of Europe’s first universities. Following this, education was for a long period reserved for only the most privileged Portuguese. Due to this very elitist system, Portugal has long had a struggling education system, and had for a long time among the lowest rates of education in Europe. Starting in the 1960’s until today however, this has changed and a much greater number of the Portuguese population are earning not just secondary school diplomas but also higher education degrees.
Since 2000, Portugal has worked in accordance with the Bologna convention in order to increase international recognition for Portuguese degrees but also to facilitate movement of students on an international basis. More and more international students choose Portugal as their study abroad destination, although due to the main language of instruction being Portuguese, most are still originating from other Portuguese speaking countries such as Brazil, Mozambique and Angola.
The Portuguese Education System
The Portuguese education system is largely based on the same build as in most of the rest of the World. It is a three tiered system, where the first lasts nine years and is obligatory. Secondary education lasts another three years, and is split into general, scientific and vocational courses. Public schools are state financed and free for students. Private school tuition may be refunded by the state school when state-run schools are full.
Higher Education in Portugal
Portuguese higher education is split into public and private universities, polytechnics and higher education institutes. The universities are generally focused on theory and research, and offer courses in areas such as medicine, law and economics. The polytechnics however are more focused on practical and vocational courses in areas such as engineering, teaching and nursing. Some of these are offered by both universities and polytechnics while some such as nursing and accountancy are only offered at polytechnics in Portugal. The system of polytechnics and universities is linked, and movement between the two systems is quite possible. In general, a university degree is more highly regarded than the equivalent from a polytechnic due to the greater selectiveness and popularity.
The private sector within Portuguese higher education developed very rapidly in the 1980’s largely to accommodate a large number of teaching staff not in favor with the current regime. It was also a way to create an alternative to the already very crowded public institutions.
Although all institutes of higher education, both public and private are carefully and strictly accredited by the Ministry of Education, different legislation has long been applied to state-run and private schools. While public universities and polytechnics in Portugal have a minimum acceptance grade of secondary school graduates, private universities could admit students according to any criteria they wished. This meant that students who barely finished school could be admitted, which created a heated debate regarding the quality of private higher education in Portugal. Public institutions, despite the large number of students, are still regarded to hold a higher education quality than most private institutions. It must be said however, that for postgraduate education, the private sector is much more popular.
Today there are 14 public universities plus the Catholic University. There are a further 15 public polytechnic institutes in addition to a plethora of private institutes of higher education.
Degree Structure in Portuguese HE
In accordance with the Bologna convention Portuguese higher education is today split into three study cycles earning students a Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degree in that order. A bachelor degree (in Portugal called a licenciatura) takes three to four years of study. A master degree (mestrado) requires a further one to two years of study and the doctorate degree (Doutoramento) is rewarded after another three years of study and research.
Portugal is due to complete the transition for all first and second-cycle courses for the academic year 2008/9. It has also started to offer Joint degrees, although still quite uncommon, as a result of recent cooperation with the United States.
In some cases, no bachelor degree is awarded. Instead the student gains a Master degree as the first degree, where studies last between four to six years. Medicine is a good example of such a degree, where the first degree is received after six years of study.
Entry Requirements/Language
If you are applying to undergraduate education in Portugal, the main prerequisite is a Secondary School Leaving Certificate. In addition you will have to pass an entrance examination. All but a very few courses in Portuguese higher education are given in Portuguese. Therefore, you are also required to speak and have a very good understanding of the Portuguese language. Some schools offer language learning programs where you can improve your language skills.
Public institutions have competitive admissions. Courses differ in the level of competition and may require more or less of applicants for admission. Medicine is among the most sought after courses, and is therefore very competitive. Polytechnics are generally less competitive and private institutions set their own entrance requirements, and are often far easier to gain admission to.
For entry into postgraduate study, you will need a bachelor or master degree depending on what level of study you are applying for. Portugal is generally very good at giving recognition to foreign qualifications. To date it recognizes PhDs from other Bologna member states and is intending to give automatic recognition to all first and second cycle degrees from the same.
All applications, regardless of program go through the national body of entry: Direcção-Geral do Ensino Superior, Direcção de Serviços de Acesso ao Ensino Superior (http://www.dges.mctes.pt/DGES/pt).
Foreign Students in Portugal
The number of foreign students choosing to study in Portugal is rapidly increasing. Still, most students originate from Portuguese speaking countries, many of which are former Portuguese colonies. The top four countries of origin are Angola, Cape Verde, Brazil and Mozambique. A small number of English speaking postgraduate programs aim to attract a greater number of non-Portuguese speaking students.
Portugal is very active in the ERASMUS exchange program as both a send and host country.
Visa Requirements
Foreign students from within the EU do not require a visa for entry into Portugal. For longer periods of study, you may have to show proof of having sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. Most other nationalities will need a visa for stays longer than 90 days. You will receive more exact information from your nearest Portuguese embassy. Should you be required to apply for a visa, this may cost up to 170 Euro and may take up to 2-3 months to be issued. You will need the following to apply for a student visa:
- Valid passport expiring no earlier than three months after your return home. At least one blank visa page.
- Completed application form
- One passport size photograph in colour
- Copy of your travel itinerary with acceptance letter or confirmed reseravation.
- Valid ticket or other proof of departure arrangements.
- Proof of sufficient financial means to support yourself during you stay.
- Proof of health insurance coverage
Tuition and Financing
All higher education institutions in Portugal charge a tuition for all its students. In most cases, students and their families have to find private financing for this. Some students are however eligible to apply for state scholarships that cover part of or the complete tuition fee. This does generally not apply to foreign students.
Starting in 2003, tuition for public universities is fixed between €475 and a maximum of €880 (in 2004/2005). As in most countries, private school alternatives are far more expensive.
Naturally you will have to calculate to have enough money to cover not only tuition expenses (that are normally paid on a monthly basis) but also to cover additional such as housing, food and books as these are not included in your tuition.
As an international student, you are best off insuring financing from your home country through private, bank or state scholarship means. This can take time, and different rules apply in most countries. Make sure to plan well ahead of time before leaving for your studies!
But you might be happy to know that Portugal is still one of the cheapest countries in Europe, where you can stretch your Euro further than in most places.
Housing
Many universities in Portugal have rather limited campus housing, especially for international students. There are often a small number of rooms earmarked for foreign students that are allocated on a first come first serve basis. If you are not able to find housing directly with the university, they will generally be happy to help you with finding private housing near the university grounds that will suit your needs and budget. As in most places, housing costs vary depending on city and location of your chosen university.
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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Portugal
http://www.ist.utl.pt/files/student_guide.pdf
http://www.letsgocampaign.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid=133
http://www.gse.buffalo.edu/org/inthigheredfinance/region_Eupore_Portugal.pdf
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal
http://www.euroeducation.net/prof/porco.htm
http://www.utwente.nl/cheps/documenten/portugal.pdf
