FAQS

Portugal is part of the Bologna Treaty, which consists of an agreement between several European countries to form a “European Higher Education Area”, in order to facilitate the transit of students between the various European institutions, improving the quality and competitiveness of professionals formed.

Thus, there are three cycles that correspond to academic degrees in Portugal and other signatory countries to the agreement:

1st cycle: degree with duration of 6 or 8 semesters;
2nd cycle: master’s degree, lasting between 18 and 24 months;
3rd cycle: doctorate.

FCT NOVA, one of the units of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, is a public institution. As in many other countries, studies are not completely free and students pay tuition fees to attend courses. These payments can be annual or monthly and have different values for national and foreign students.

Students from CPLP countries, such as Brazil, have a 60% discount on the total tuition fee for international students.

FCT NOVA has 94 study cycles, from Bachelor’s degrees, Integrated Masters, Masters, PhDs and Post-Graduations. The formation of FCT NOVA is one of the most innovative in the country, having been the first to incorporate soft skills, guaranteeing, in addition to solid knowledge in science and engineering, instrumental skills for its immediate employability. Discover our educational offer in www.fct.unl.pt

FCT NOVA offers 11 Integrated Masters. These courses are structured in two levels of integrated training (1st cycle and 2nd cycle).

The first level (3 years) provides students with basic knowledge and training in the scientific area in question and the possibility to continue their studies at another national or international higher education institution. In the last year of this first level, students undertake an internship that can be in a company or in a research center.

The second level (2 years) is characterized by specialized training that comprises a set of curricular units, writing and defending a thesis.

The completion of the two integrated cycles (5 years-300 ETC credits) gives the student a master’s degree. you need to apply again. If you were not successful in the 1st phase you can try in the remaining phases, until you get the desired result.

For foreign students there is only one application phase. However, you can see references to different “phases” that in these cases are intended for other access regimes to FCT NOVA.

“Opening Notice” or “Notice” are the official documents that provide information about the application process, from the deadlines to the requirements for applications, enrollment and enrollment in the courses. These expressions are also used when opening calls for research grants.

The student visa does not include the authorization for paid work. When in possession of your Residence Permit, you can work during the period of residence in the country, as long as you request SEF permission.

Yes, however FCT NOVA strongly recommends that students travel with a student visa, since you cannot change the type of visa you entered with a different one, nor can you apply for a new one, unless in the country of origin. Article 91 (4) states:

“Residence permits may be granted to higher education students who do not hold a residence visa issued under the terms of article 62, provided they have entered the country legally and fulfill the other conditions set out in this article.”

In other words, although you cannot change the “Visa”, you can later obtain a residence permit (title) as a student. Note that the different entry visas have different characteristics and deadlines!

FCT NOVA advises you to consult the Portuguese consular representation of your area of ​​residence as soon as you receive the Placement Statement from FCT NOVA, for the purpose of obtaining the correct visa.

After applying and if you are placed in one of the courses at FCT NOVA, academic services will send you a Placement Statement in order to apply for a Student Visa at the Portuguese consulate closest to your residence in Brazil. For more information see the page EduPortugal.

CLIP is the platform created for students, teachers and employees where you can find all the information about your presence at FCT NOVA. In the case of students, this tool allows access to all data and documents, from applying to schedules and to their entire academic career within the Faculty.

High school must be completed before the application is submitted, regardless of the year in which it completed. ENEM, for the application to the academic year 2020/2021, must have been carried out in 2020 or in the three years preceding the application date (2019, 2018 or 2017).

The academic year at FCT NOVA has two parts called first and second semester. The 1st semester starts in the middle of September and ends in the beginning of February; the 2nd semester starts at the beginning of February and ends at the end of July. There are still three (3) holiday periods: Christmas, Easter and Summer (full August).

The academic calendar can be consulted at CLIP or at
https://www.fct.unl.pt/estudante/informacao-academica/prazos

NOVA FCT services are open from Monday to Friday, 09:30 – 16:30.

Library:
During classes and exams: Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 20:00; 
During Holidays and interim period: Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 17:00;
Information for the indicated periods is available in the 2023 – 2024 Academic Calendar, here (Portuguese only).