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
The Colombian higher education system has four types of institutions: 43 Instituciones Técnicas Profesionales (technical training institutions), 51 Instituciones Tecnológicas (technological institutions), 107 Instituciones Universitarias (university institutions) and 79 Universidades (universities).
Colombia's universities offer traditional education and research programmes up through the doctoral level. As recognized institutions, they offer a very broad range of science and technology research programmes, higher professional education programmes and liberal arts programmes.
University institutions offer academic programmes for a range of general and specialized professions and in various academic fields. Technological institutions offer technical and vocational training and education at a post-secondary and tertiary level, usually in specialized fields or occupational areas.
Technical training institutes provide vocational education and training programmes, skills training and specialization programmes in technical fields at a post-secondary level.
Types of degrees
Degrees can only be conferred by institutions recognized by the Ministry of National Education. Degrees conferred by professional technical institutes have the denomination 'Professional Technician in' followed by the occupation or field. Similarly, university institutions, technological schools and universities award the title of 'Professional in' or 'Technologist in' followed by the profession or academic discipline.
Undergraduate liberal arts programmes confer the title of 'Maestro en', whilst undergraduate study programmes offered by schools authorized to do so can confer the degree of 'Licenciado en'. Specialization programmes lead to a degree of specialist in a given occupation, profession, discipline or related area.
Master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral programmes result in the degrees of Magister (master’s), Doctor (PhD) or a corresponding postdoctoral degree indicating the discipline or interdisciplinary domain.
Quality assurance and accreditation
Institutions must demonstrate compliance with certain basic quality standards and obtain Registro Calificado status in order to operate. Institutions are inspected and monitored by the National Council for the Quality Assurance of Higher Education (CONACES). Institutions that have met the basic requirements can be licensed to operate for seven years. Individual programmes must obtain a Registro Calificado before being allowed to operate.
In addition to being licensed, institutions can also apply for accreditation. The Acreditación de Alta Calidad (High Quality Accreditation), coordinated by the National Council of Accreditation (CAN), is a voluntary scheme under which both institutions and undergraduate programmes can be accredited as high-quality institutions or programmes and listed on the CAN website.
One of the Ministry of Education’s current priorities is the design of an accreditation system for master’s and doctoral degrees.
Recent reforms
Since the 1990s, the higher education system has been subject to substantial reform. A 1992 Act laid down a regulatory framework for the higher education sector in Columbia. A large number of administrative, financial and curricular changes have encouraged decentralization, efficiency and accountability, increased enrolment and improved quality.
More recently, measures have been taken to control the proliferation of sub-standard programmes. These measures include the creation of a Vice-Ministry of Higher Education, the setting of minimum standards for accreditation, redefining academic credits and the curricula of credit-based programmes, and enhancing technical and technological education.
