Higher education

Unlike Dutch higher education, Peruvian higher education is not divided into HBO i and WO i . Peruvian higher education institutions can offer both types of education. This often means that for each diploma we have to determine whether it is HBO or WO. Below, we describe the diplomas that we often see.

Students can follow a study programme for a bachiller técnico at an institute or school for higher education (EES or IES).

• Duration i : 3 years.
• Study load i : at least 120 créditos.
• Content: profession-oriented subjects in a technical field of study.
• Admission requirements: a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria.
• Function of the diploma: work. For some professions, students have to continue studying for a título de profesional técnico before they are allowed to work.
• Diploma: Bachiller técnico en + field of study.

Students with a bachiller técnico can continue studying for a título de profesional (professional title) at an EES or IES. They often need a professional title to be allowed to work.

• Duration: usually several months up to 1 year. The duration varies per study programme.
• Study load: varies per study programme.
• Content: practical follow-up of the Bachiller técnico, such as a professional exam or a project.
• Admission requirements: a bachiller técnico.
• Function of the diploma: work. In principle, students can go to a university to continue studying for a bachiller (with exemptions).
• Diploma: Título de profesional técnico en + field of study. The EES or IES issues the diploma.

Students can follow study programmes for a Título de profesional técnico at SENATI. Unlike the título de profesional técnico programme from an EES or IES, these study programmes do not require a bachiller técnico for admission. Students start their studies at SENATI after having completed their secondary education.

• Duration: 3 years.
• Study load: at least 120 créditos.
• Content: profession-oriented subjects in a technical field of study. On the SENATI website, you can find an overview of the fields of study. Click on a field of study for more information about subjects.
• Admission requirements: a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria.
• Function of the diploma: work.
• Diploma: Título de profesional técnico en + field of study. SENATI issues the diploma.

If students complete a bachelor’s programme from a university (universidad), they get a bachiller.

• Duration: at least 4 years.
• Study load: at least 200 créditos.
• Content: at least 35 créditos for general education subjects (estudios generales). In many cases, a graduation project (trabajo de investigación) and a 2nd foreign language are also obligatory. Peruvian universities give information about their bachelor’s programmes under the section ‘pregrado’ on their website.
• Admission requirements: a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria and usually an entrance exam. Students with a bachiller técnico may also get admitted, often with exemptions.
• Function of the diploma: access to maestría/maestro programmes.
• Diploma: Bachiller en + field of study, such as:
  • Bachiller en administración hotelera (hospitality);
  • Bachiller en ciencias comunicación (communication sciences).
    Before ‘Bachiller’, the words ‘Título de’ or ‘Grado académico de’ are often used.

A título profesional is a professional title. A professional title is often necessary to be allowed to work, for example in a regulated profession such as doctor or lawyer. Students can continue studying for a professional title after obtaining their bachiller from a university.

• Duration: usually 1 year.
• Content: students write and defend a thesis, present a project or do another assignment, such as a 1-year internship.
• Admission requirements: a bachiller from a university.
• Function of the diploma: work or access to diplomado/especialista programmes or maestria/maestro programmes.
• Diploma: one of the following diplomas:
  • Licenciada/o en + field of study;
  • Título profesional de + profession, such as Título professional de abogado (lawyer);
  • Título de ingeniero (engineer). On this diploma, the term ‘professional’ is often not mentioned.

Students can get an artísta profesional after completing a bachelor’s programme from schools for higher art education (Escuelas Superiores de Formación Artística, ESFA).

• Duration: 5 years.
• Study load: at least 200 créditos.
• Content: art subjects, exhibitions or other art activities and a final project in the chosen specialisation.
• Admission requirements: a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria.
• Function of the diploma: working in the arts sector.
• Diploma: Artísta profesional + specialisation.

Students can study for a profesor(a) via bachelor’s programmes at certain institutes for teacher training (Institutos de Educación Superior Pedagógico, IESP) or schools for higher art education (Escuelas Superiores de Formación Artística, ESFA).

• Duration: 5 years.
• Study load: at least 200 créditos.
• Content: subjects from the field of study, communication, mathematics, IT, a language and a thesis.
• Admission requirements: a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria.
• Function of the diploma: working as a teacher.
• Diploma: Profesor(a) + field of study or specialisation. Before ‘Profesor(a)’, the words ‘Título de’ are often used.

Students with a título profesional can further specialise via a diplomado or especialista programme to work in a certain profession or discipline. These study programmes or often called: segunda especialidad. Students usually follow their study programme at a university.

• Duration: at least half a year.
• Study load: at least 24 créditos.
• Content: further specialisation in the field of study of their previous education. Students take profession-oriented subjects and sometimes do an internship. They do not write a thesis. Peruvian universities provide information about their especialidad or diplomado programmes under the section ‘posgrado’ on their website.
• Admission requirements: a título profesional.
• Function of the diploma: work.
• Diploma:
  • Diplomado en + field of study, such as Diplomado en finanzas empresariales (corporate finance);
  • Especialista en + field of study, such as Especialista en gestión de proyectos (project management).

Students conclude a master’s programme from a university with exams for a maestría or maestro.

• Duration: at least 1 year.
• Study load: 48 créditos.
• Content:
  • a profession-oriented master’s programme (maestría de especialización); or
  • a research-oriented master’s programme (maestría de investigación o académicas).
    Students learn a foreign language and complete and defend a graduation project (trabajo de investigación). Peruvian universities provide information about their maestria/maestro programmes under the section ‘posgrado’ on their website.
• Admission requirements: a bachiller from a university or a título profesional.
• Function of the diploma: work or access to a PhD programme (doctor).
• Diploma: Maestría en + field of study or Maestro en + field of study, such as:
  • Maestría en dirección de operaciones y logísica (operational management and logistics);
  • Maestro en bioquímica y biologia molecular (biochemistry and molecular biology).
    Before ‘Maestría’ or ’Maestro’, the words ‘Título de’ or ‘Grado académico de’ are often used.

When students complete a PhD programme, they receive a doctor degree. They follow the PhD programme at a university.

• Duration: at least 3 years.
• Content: students learn 2 foreign languages, do independent academic research and write and defend a dissertation.
• Admission requirements: a maestría/maestro.
• Diploma: Doctor.