Bachelor's Degrees - Applications and Admissions

The National Competition for Access to Public Higher Education (CNA) is the main access route (general regime) to 1st cycle courses, being especially - but not exclusively - aimed at students who have finished secondary education in Portugal.

This access is organised and coordinated directly by the DGES.

To apply for the CNA you must:

• Hold a secondary education degree or equivalent qualification;
• Have taken, or have taken within the last two years, the national exams corresponding to the required entrance examinations.
• Not be covered by the International Student Statute.

The first phase of the National contest reserves a percentage of vacancies for:

• Applicants from the Azores.
• Applicants from Madeira
• Applicants from Portuguese Immigrants and their families
• Military candidates under contract
• Disabled Applicants

If you have completed a course that is legally equivalent to Portuguese secondary education (e.g.: students from the European Union wishing to study at the University of Porto), you may also apply through the CNA. In this case, the entrance examinations are replaced by final examinations of the subjects of those courses, according to the conditions defined by the DGES..

The special Regimes are intended for candidates with specific qualifications and personal conditions.

This access is organised and coordinated directly by the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES).

You can apply through the special regime under one of the following conditions:

• Portuguese official at a Portuguese diplomatic mission abroad (and family members who accompany you);
• Portuguese citizen with a scholarship abroad or civil servant on an official mission abroad (and family members who accompany you);
• Officer in the permanent staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces, in order to meet the specific training needs of the Armed Forces;
• National student from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) and a scholarship holder from the Portuguese Government, from your respective Government, from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, under conventions with the EU or others;
• Foreign official of a diplomatic mission accredited in Portugal (and family members residing here, on a reciprocal basis);
• High Performance Sports Practitioner;
• Natural or a child of naturals from the territory of Timor-Leste.

Please note: If you already hold a Portuguese or foreign higher education degree, you cannot benefit from the special access regimes, except if you are an officer of the Portuguese Armed Forces.

For more information, please consult the Special Regimes of the DGES portal.

All those who have been enrolled and registered in another institution/course pair, including foreign higher education institutions, without having concluded the respective course; who have passed the national secondary school exams corresponding to the entrance examinations established for that pair, for that year, under the general regime of access; and who have, in those exams, the minimum classification required by the higher education institution, for that year, under the general regime of access.

Students who, after having interrupted their studies in a course at the FPCEUP, wish to re-enroll and enrol in the same course or in a course that succeeded it, may apply to this local competition.

Holders of other higher education degrees

Candidates may apply to this competition if they hold a bachelor's degree, a licenciado degree, a master's degree or a doctoral degree.

People over 23 years old

Students who have passed the especially adequate exams intended to assess the capacity to attend higher education for those who are 23 years old or more, may apply to this competition. Candidates for the exams should present the application process according to the terms indicated in the Announcement published annually on the FPCEUP website.

Special Contests for international students

International students who hold a qualification giving access to higher education (any diploma or certificate attesting the approval in a secondary education programme in the country of origin and giving them the right to apply to higher education in that country or a Portuguese secondary education diploma) may apply to this Contests.

For more information, please contact us directly through the email of the Academic Service of the FPCEUP.

Holders of Double Certification Courses of Secondary Education and Specialised Artistic Courses (exclusive for access to the Degree in Education Sciences)

Students who have concluded one of the following educational and formative offers may apply to this contest: Professional courses; Apprenticeship courses; Education and training courses for young people; Sectorial scope courses of the network of schools of Turismo de Portugal, I. P. Specialised artistic courses; Vocational training courses within the Youth Integration Training Programme of the Autonomous Region of the Azores; Specialised artistic courses at secondary level in the area of music; Courses of Member-State of the European Union, legally equivalent to Portuguese secondary education, conferring double certification, school and vocational, and conferring level 4 qualifications of the European Qualifications Framework; Other non-Portuguese courses, legally equivalent to Portuguese secondary education, conferring double certification, school and vocational.

Candidates for the knowledge assessment tests must submit the application process according to the terms indicated in the Notice published annually in the FPCEUP site.