University
Portugal has a rich history of excellence when it comes to universities. Portuguese universities have existed since 1290. The oldest university in the country is the University of Coimbra.
Higher educational institutions in Portugal are divided into 2 main types:
- Universities (universidade) are aimed at research and training scientific personnel. They award Licentiate, Master's, and PhD degrees. This category also includes “specialised university institutions”;
- Polytechnics (politénico) focus on vocational training. They award Licentiate and Master's degrees. Some polytechnic institutes can be integrated into universities.
Both types of higher education institutions can be public or private.
In addition, Portugal has an Open University ( Universidade Aberta - UAb), the single public distance education university in Portugal, specialises in distance learning. Some of its departments operate under the MIT-Portugal program.
All higher education institutions are run by the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES).
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