HIGHER EDUCACTION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA September 2009 Dirección de Calidad para la Educación Superior Viceministerio de Educación Superior

HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM CONTENT

HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM CONTENT

PhD Master’s Especialization University Professional According to area of studies Technological Technological Degree in… Professional Technical Professional Technician in… Middle Education Labor World University Professional specialized in… Technological Degree specialized in… Professional Technician specialized in… Master’s in… PhD in… HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA

Requirements to access higher education 1. High school graduate: certifies approving middle education (tenth and eleventh grade) 2. State Examination: before ICFES, or equivalent in other countries. 1. High school graduate: certifies approving middle education (tenth and eleventh grade) 2. State Examination: before ICFES, or equivalent in other countries. HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA

Types of Institutions (defined according to their field of action) HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA 1. Professional Technical Institutions, offering undergraduate programs at the professional technical level, and specialization programs in technical fields. 2. Technological Institutes : offering undergraduate programs in the professional technical level technological fields, and specialization programs in technical and technological fields. 3. University Institutions or Technological Schools, offering undergraduate programs at the tree levels, as well as graduate, specializations and master's programs. 4. Universities : offering undergraduate programs at the three levels, and all the graduate programs modalities (specializations, master's and PhD's These can be Public or Private Institutions with Autonomy (academic, administrative, granted by Constitution). 1. Professional Technical Institutions, offering undergraduate programs at the professional technical level, and specialization programs in technical fields. 2. Technological Institutes : offering undergraduate programs in the professional technical level technological fields, and specialization programs in technical and technological fields. 3. University Institutions or Technological Schools, offering undergraduate programs at the tree levels, as well as graduate, specializations and master's programs. 4. Universities : offering undergraduate programs at the three levels, and all the graduate programs modalities (specializations, master's and PhD's These can be Public or Private Institutions with Autonomy (academic, administrative, granted by Constitution).

Autonomy - Granted by Constitution (art. 28 and 29) HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA It recognizes Universities the right to: Settle their own statutes Appoint their academic and administrative authorities Develop its academic programs Design and organize its formatives, academic, teachers, scientific and cultural tasks Choose teachers, accept students It recognizes Universities the right to: Settle their own statutes Appoint their academic and administrative authorities Develop its academic programs Design and organize its formatives, academic, teachers, scientific and cultural tasks Choose teachers, accept students

MEN SUPPORT AGENCIES Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education, ICFES Evaluation for the education improvement Colombian Institue for Educational Credit and Technical Education Abroad – ICETEX Financing for students without resources Colombian Institue for the Development of Science and Technology, COLCIENCIAS Research’s promotion and direction CONSULTING AGENCIES High Education National Council, CESU Policy definition and follow-up Cross-Sectoral Commite for High Education Quality Assurance, CONACES Definitions of quality assurance policies National Acreditation Council, CNA High Quality Acreditation HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN COLOMBIA

QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM CONTENT

DEVELOPMENT Institutional Strengthening CERES New Technologies Accompaniment in plans for improvement Technical and Technological programs INFORMATIONEVALUATION CNA National Accreditation Council (Programs, Institutions) Labor Observatory ECAES CONACES Cross- Sectoral Committee for Higher Education Quality Assurance Qualify Registry (Basic Conditions) SNIES QUALITY SPADIES QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM

INFORMATION SNIES NATIONAL SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION INFORMATION OLE LABOR OBSERVATORY FOR EDUCATION SACES HIGHER EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE INFORMATION SYSTEM SPADIES HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS DROP OUT ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION SYSTEM

CONACES Higher Education National Council (CESU) Designa Comisionados Academic experts Higher Education Institutions Coordinators Room General Room 1. Sala de Ingeniería, Arquitectura, Matemáticas y Ciencias Físicas 2. Sala de Ciencias de la Salud 3. Sala de Ciencias Biológicas, Agronomía, Veterinaria y afines. 4. Sala de Ciencias de la Educación 5. Sala de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas 6. Sala de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales 7. Sala de Artes 1. Sala de Ingeniería, Arquitectura, Matemáticas y Ciencias Físicas 2. Sala de Ciencias de la Salud 3. Sala de Ciencias Biológicas, Agronomía, Veterinaria y afines. 4. Sala de Ciencias de la Educación 5. Sala de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas 6. Sala de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales 7. Sala de Artes Institutional Room Masters and pHd`s room 7 Rooms for NBC EVALUATION ICFES - ECAES Colciencias CNA

Recognition of Higher Education Degrees in Colombia granted by Higher Education Institutions Abroad Convalidación, is the recognition that the Colombian government grants to a higher education degree awarded by a higher education institution abroad or by an institution legally authorized to award higher education degrees by a competent authority e.g. Ministry of Education. This recognition implies that the foreign higher education degree has the same legal and academic effects that one obtained in Colombia, however, it does not imply that the holder is excluded to meet other requirements for the professional practice Homologación, is the recognition that Colombian higher education institutions grant to subjects carried out by students in higher education institutions abroad. This procedure, regulated through internal dispositions, allows that a student that has taken courses as part of a higher education program abroad can continue his/her studies in Colombia and obtain a higher education degree after an evaluation process that will determine which of those courses are relevant to be recognized.

Recognition of Higher Education Degrees in Colombia granted by Higher Education Institutions Abroad Convalidación Implies to hold a degree that would be submited to a convalidación process. Procedure carried out by the Ministry of Education. It finalizes with and administrative act.. Homologación, There is not a degree, just courses or subjects taken in the frame of a higher education program. Procedure carried out by higher education institutions. It finalizes with the higher education institution establishing which subjects have been homologados and which are lacking in order to obtain a higher education degree.

Criteria for the convalidacion of degrees The convalidacion procedure follows four guidelines to grant the recognition. 1.- The degrees comes from a country that has an agreement with the Colombian government to arrange the recognition of degrees. 2.- The degree is awarded by a higher education institution accredited for its high quality standards or the program is accredited for the same reason. 3.- Law of precedent. 4.- Academic evaluation by experts. The convalidacion procedure can take up to five months.

Thanks for your attention!

SISTEMA DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR EN COLOMBIA Organismos asesores y de apoyo Organismos asesores Consejo Nacional de Educación Superior, CESU Conformado por representantes del sector educativo (docentes, estudiantes, instituciones, investigadores), sector productivo y Gobierno. Asesorar al Gobierno en la definición y seguimiento de las políticas. Comisión Nacional para el Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior, CONACES Evalúa requisitos para la creación de IES y de programas académicos. Asesora al Gobierno en la definición de políticas de aseguramiento de la calidad. Consejo Nacional de Acreditación, CNA Integrado por académicos, designados por el CESU. Asesora al Ministerio de Educación en materia de Acreditación de Alta Calidad de instituciones y programas, a la que acceden las instituciones por voluntad propia. Organismos de apoyo Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior, ICFES Evalúa el sistema educativo colombiano, a través de pruebas a estudiantes antes de su ingreso a la educación superior y al finalizar el programa académico. Evalúa los resultados como apoyo al mejoramiento del sistema de educación superior. Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, COLCIENCIAS Promueve y orienta políticas que fortalezcan la investigación en ciencia y tecnología como instrumentos para el desarrollo del país. Instituto Colombiano de Crédito Educativo y Estudios Técnicos en el Exterior, ICETEX Promueve el ingreso y la permanencia en la educación superior, a través del crédito educativo para financiar las matrículas y el sostenimiento de los estudiantes, en especial de aquellos que carecen de recursos económicos Volver