Educational System
The Uruguayan education system is organised into levels:
Pre-School Education
Primary Education (6 years)
Middle School Education: basic cycle (3 years) and second cycle or baccalaureate (3 years)
Tertiary or Higher Education
Pre-School or Initial Education:
The infant population between 3 and 5 years of age attend and it is mandatory for children of 5 years of age.
Primary Education
The population from 6 to 14 years attend in common, special (attended by children with different abilities) and rural education modes. It is mandatory and free.
Middle School Education
Basic Cycle: Is attended by the student population which progresses from primary education. It is common to students with all preferences and is mandatory in nature.
Second Cycle: Diversified Baccalaureate and Technical Education. The first level of baccalaureate is divided into three basic areas - Biology, Arts and Sciences - which are diversified into 6 options in the second and final levels and are required for entry to tertiary studies.
Technical Education: This has different modes lasting from 1 to 7 years. It is divided into four sectors - Agricultural, Industrial, Craft Artistic and Services.
Professional Technical Education: Its most advanced courses enable entry to University and Teacher Training studies.
Tertiary or Higher Education
This level is divided into University Higher Education and Non-University Higher Education, according to Decree 308/995, approved on 11 August 1995.
Higher University Education comprises the Universidad de la República (autonomous and free), as well as four private universities (Universidad Católica, Universidad ORT, Universidad de Montevideo and Universidad de la Empresa).
Non-University Higher Education comprises Teacher Training Institutes, the Centro de Diseño Industrial within the ambit of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Escuela Militar, Escuela Naval and Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica in the ambit of the Ministry of Defence, Escuela Nacional de Policía in the ambit of the Ministry of the Interior and private Institutes.
Structure of the University Education System
The Private Tertiary Education System in Uruguay is regulated by Decree 308/995 for "Regulation of the
Private Tertiary Teaching System".
According to this, "tertiary teaching is that which, assuming due to its contents that its students have studied and passed the full primary and secondary or professional-technical cycles in state or authorised private institutions, deepens and extends the training in some field of knowledge" (Article 1). Within tertiary teaching is university teaching, which corresponds to that teaching which integrates processes for generation and application of knowledge through research and the extension of its activities to the social medium.
Decree 308/995 anticipates two types of university institutions (Article 4):
those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in one or more related disciplines or in two unrelated disciplines and which receive the name "University Institute"; and those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in three or more unrelated disciplines and which use the title of "University".
Professional Degrees
A professional degree is that which accredits having taken and passed, in university institutions or universities, the studies corresponding to a full university course.
These professional degrees can be:
First University Degree, accrediting the completion of a first degree.
Specialisation, accrediting the completion of specific studies deepening knowledge in one discipline or a group of related disciplines, comprised in first university degree studies.
Master's, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into first degree level university studies and research tasks which involve the active and creative management of knowledge, including the writing of a final thesis or report.
Doctorate, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into master's studies and the carrying out of higher, original research tasks, involving the writing of a thesis.
The Uruguayan education system is organised into levels:
Pre-School Education
Primary Education (6 years)
Middle School Education: basic cycle (3 years) and second cycle or baccalaureate (3 years)
Tertiary or Higher Education
Pre-School or Initial Education:
The infant population between 3 and 5 years of age attend and it is mandatory for children of 5 years of age.
Primary Education
The population from 6 to 14 years attend in common, special (attended by children with different abilities) and rural education modes. It is mandatory and free.
Middle School Education
Basic Cycle: Is attended by the student population which progresses from primary education. It is common to students with all preferences and is mandatory in nature.
Second Cycle: Diversified Baccalaureate and Technical Education. The first level of baccalaureate is divided into three basic areas - Biology, Arts and Sciences - which are diversified into 6 options in the second and final levels and are required for entry to tertiary studies.
Technical Education: This has different modes lasting from 1 to 7 years. It is divided into four sectors - Agricultural, Industrial, Craft Artistic and Services.
Professional Technical Education: Its most advanced courses enable entry to University and Teacher Training studies.
Tertiary or Higher Education
This level is divided into University Higher Education and Non-University Higher Education, according to Decree 308/995, approved on 11 August 1995.
Higher University Education comprises the Universidad de la República (autonomous and free), as well as four private universities (Universidad Católica, Universidad ORT, Universidad de Montevideo and Universidad de la Empresa).
Non-University Higher Education comprises Teacher Training Institutes, the Centro de Diseño Industrial within the ambit of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Escuela Militar, Escuela Naval and Escuela Militar de Aeronáutica in the ambit of the Ministry of Defence, Escuela Nacional de Policía in the ambit of the Ministry of the Interior and private Institutes.
Structure of the University Education System
The Private Tertiary Education System in Uruguay is regulated by Decree 308/995 for "Regulation of the
Private Tertiary Teaching System".
According to this, "tertiary teaching is that which, assuming due to its contents that its students have studied and passed the full primary and secondary or professional-technical cycles in state or authorised private institutions, deepens and extends the training in some field of knowledge" (Article 1). Within tertiary teaching is university teaching, which corresponds to that teaching which integrates processes for generation and application of knowledge through research and the extension of its activities to the social medium.
Decree 308/995 anticipates two types of university institutions (Article 4):
those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in one or more related disciplines or in two unrelated disciplines and which receive the name "University Institute"; and those which carry out teaching, research and outreach activities in three or more unrelated disciplines and which use the title of "University".
Professional Degrees
A professional degree is that which accredits having taken and passed, in university institutions or universities, the studies corresponding to a full university course.
These professional degrees can be:
First University Degree, accrediting the completion of a first degree.
Specialisation, accrediting the completion of specific studies deepening knowledge in one discipline or a group of related disciplines, comprised in first university degree studies.
Master's, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into first degree level university studies and research tasks which involve the active and creative management of knowledge, including the writing of a final thesis or report.
Doctorate, accrediting the completion of studies complementing, expanding on and going more deeply into master's studies and the carrying out of higher, original research tasks, involving the writing of a thesis.
