Higher education
18 Nov 2010
On this page
- Short description of the higher education system
- Types of degrees
- Quality assurance and accreditation
- Recent reforms
Short description of the higher education system
Higher education in Chile is offered by three types of institutions: universities, professional institutes and technical training centres. Universities are the only institutions that can grant academic degrees. This sector consists of sixteen public, traditional universities, six Catholic universities and three private universities established after 1981. The professional institutes (around 45) were all established during the country’s education reform in 1981, and are mostly small, specialized institutions. Technical training centres (around 110) are relatively small institutions that mainly offer programmes in the fields of technology, administration and commerce.
Types of degrees
Universities award first degrees and graduate degrees (master’s degrees, doctorates), and are the only institutions allowed to grant academic degrees and to teach in professions regulated by law. First degrees (licenciatura) typically take five years. Universities also offer postgraduate diplomas (lasting up to one year), master’s degrees and medical specializations, which take longer. Other professional degrees are awarded by the Institutos Profesionales, which mainly offer four-year professional programmes. The Centros de Formación Técnico only offer technical programmes requiring between two and two and a half years of study.
Quality assurance and accreditation
In recent years, Chile has moved from a regulatory and bureaucratic process of quality control to a decentralized, peer-review based process of institutional and programme accreditation. The national system of quality assurance is composed of the National Higher Education Commission (CNES, which grants institutional licensing) and the National Commission of Accreditation (CNA, which grants institutional accreditation and authorizes accreditation bodies for specific academic fields). Since 2007, the CNA has been combining the work previously conducted (since 1999) by the accreditation bodies for undergraduate programmes and graduate programmes (the CNAP and CONAP, respectively). The accreditation process now consists of three steps: self-assessment, peer-review visits and a final written report with the accreditation decision. One important outcome of the recent reforms has been the closure of several sub-standard tertiary institutions.
Recent reforms
In 1997 the Chilean government presented the country’s first-ever broad outline for higher education policy. The policy emphasised quality and equity objectives, the relevance of regionalization and the importance of internationalization. This policy resulted in the Higher Education Improvement Programme (MECESUP). Recent reforms include a 2006 higher education law introducing a national system of quality assurance through accreditation. Another important reform was the introduction of a second student loan scheme in 2005, with Government Guaranteed Loans managed in partnership with commercial banks.
