Study in Mozambique

Mozambique's higher education system is called Ensino Superior. A higher education institution, commonly abbreviated as IES, may be public or private and must meet the applicable authorization and accreditation requirements. Universities and military or paramilitary academies belong to class A; higher polytechnic institutes to class B; higher institutes to class C; and higher schools to class D. A university covers several knowledge areas and combines teaching with research, outreach and innovation. A polytechnic institute is professionally oriented and may cover up to two knowledge areas, while a higher institute or higher school has a more specialized focus. The main undergraduate qualification is the Licenciatura. Programs cover areas such as humanities, languages and arts, applied social sciences, exact and earth sciences, health sciences, agriculture, engineering, management, law and education. The system also offers academic and professional Mestrado programs and Doutoramento programs. Study may be presencial, meaning campus-based, or Ensino à Distância (EaD), meaning distance education. Some programs use a laboral schedule during normal working hours, while pós-laboral schedules take place outside those hours. The Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, known as UEM, illustrates the range of provision with undergraduate, postgraduate, campus-based, pós-laboral and distance programs. Higher education is organized into three cycles. A level 7 Licenciatura generally requires 180 to 240 credits and six to eight semesters. A level 8 Licenciatura generally requires 300 to 360 credits and ten to twelve semesters, often including compulsory practical training. An academic Mestrado generally requires 90 to 120 credits over three to four semesters, while a professional Mestrado generally requires 120 credits over four semesters. A Doutoramento generally requires 180 to 240 credits over six to eight semesters. The national credit and qualification framework, SNATCA, supports credit accumulation, transfer and comparability between institutions. Postdoctoral work is not a separate study cycle. Entry normally requires completion of the second cycle of general secondary education, Ensino Secundário Geral, or Ensino Técnico Profissional, or an accepted equivalent. The first cycle leads toward the second cycle or a comparable technical pathway, while completion of the second cycle can provide access to a Licenciatura or equivalent program. Access to a particular program may also depend on the institution's academic criteria, prior subjects, an entrance examination and available capacity. For example, UEM's 2026 process includes online pre-registration, a national entrance examination and a fee of 900 MT for each integrated examination. Passing an entrance examination does not automatically create student registration or grant a scholarship. Matrícula confirms student status after admission. Institutions may request identification, a certificate for the 12th grade or equivalent, proof of payment and, depending on the applicant's status, documents such as a NUIT, military service record or DIRE. Portuguese is central to admission and teaching, although individual programs may use English, French, Chinese or another language. Institutions also provide special arrangements for groups such as working students, students with disabilities or special educational needs, high-performance athletes, artists, military or paramilitary personnel and students affected by maternity. There is no single nationwide fee schedule. Students may pay propinas, registration or enrollment charges, examination fees, document fees, transfer fees and, where needed, accommodation costs. The amount depends on the institution, program and study regime. UEM examples for 2026 include a renewal charge of 250 MT for the daytime regime and 500 MT for pós-laboral, Mestrado or Doutoramento. Transfer charges can range from 8,500 to 25,000 MT depending on the academic year, and postgraduate fees vary by program; one published Mestrado example charges 9,000 MT per month. Funding can come from institutional or international scholarships and from the Instituto de Bolsas de Estudo (IBE), the national public channel for scholarships and study support. UEM funding categories include a complete scholarship with accommodation, meals, social and medical support, living costs and exemption from propinas; a reduced scholarship without accommodation; food or accommodation support; and 100% or 50% reductions in propinas. A published UEM call for new national Licenciatura applicants limits eligibility to applicants aged no more than 25 on 31 December 2025, subject to need evidence, no other scholarship, no employment restriction and the laboral regime. Scholarship approval is separate from examination success. Institutions manage curricula, modules or courses, credits, assessments, academic records, examinations, certificates and graduation. Students complete ongoing assessments and examinations under the rules of their institution and program. Graduation may require approval of a report, monograph, dissertation, thesis or state examination. The institution issues the graduation certificate or diploma, while national recognition and equivalence follow the applicable framework, including Decree 84/2023. Quality assurance follows SINAQES, which combines self-evaluation, external evaluation and accreditation. The national quality body is CNAQ, currently shown as CNAQES on the Ministry of Education and Culture portal. New courses and programs require prior accreditation before they begin. Quality review can examine teaching staff, facilities, curricula, practical training and internships, and accreditation results are intended to be publicly available. The Ministry of Education and Culture and its Direcção Nacional do Ensino Superior establish policy, coordinate the sector, regulate institutions, support access and financing rules, maintain national qualification and credit frameworks and publish statistics. The Conselho Nacional do Ensino Superior provides advice. The Instituto Nacional de Exames, Certificação e Equivalências handles examination, certification and equivalence functions, while INED relates to the distance-education context. Each institution remains responsible for its admissions, curricula, fees, registration, examinations and awards. Student support may include social services, academic records offices, study advice, student representation, libraries, research, culture, sport and mobility. UEM's student services and academic records offices provide examples involving scholarships, accommodation, meals, medical support, advice, documents and transfers. UEM has eight residences in Maputo and accommodation at selected provincial locations, with residences primarily intended for complete scholarship or accommodation scholarship recipients. After a Licenciatura, a graduate may enter employment, research or teaching, continue to a Mestrado or pursue another tertiary qualification. Technical training outside an accredited higher education program, standalone language courses and general short courses do not form part of this higher education pathway.