Structure of Education in Colombia
Education in Colombia comprises of school education and higher education. Compulsory education in Colombia last for 9 years.
School Education in Colombia
School education in Colombia starts with nursery schools, followed by elementary school that is compulsory to attend, and secondary education that is split up into 2 cycles- basic secondary cycle which is compulsory and the middle secondary cycle that is optional. Upon successful completion of the secondary education, students are awarded the Bachillerato.
Tertiary Education in Colombia
Tertiary/higher education in Colombia is offered by the universities, technical professional institutions and institutes of technology. In Colombia, there are both public and private higher education institutions offering a wide range of degree programmes.
Colombian Education Structure
Pre-tertiary Education
Period of Compulsory Education
Pre-Primary/Pre-school Education
- School type: Nursery school, preschool (Educacion preescolar)
- Ages: 3 to 5
Basic Education
Basic education is divided into two stage: basic primary education and basic secondary education.
- Duration: 9 years
- Ages: 6 to 14
Primary Education (Educacion Basica Primaria)
- Duration: 5 years
- Grades: 1 to 5
- Ages: 6 to 11
Basic Secondary Education (Educacion Basica Secundaria)
- Duration: 4 years
- Ages: 11 to 15
- Grades: 6 to 9
- Credential: Certificate of Basic Studies School (Certificado de Estudios de Bachillerato Basico)
Upper Secondary (Educacion media/secundaria)
Secondary education has two streams: general education and vocational secondary education.
- Duration: 2 years
- Grades: 10 and 11
- Ages: 15-16
- Credential: Bachillerato (bachillerato academic or bachillerato en tecnologia o aplicado, depending on the stream chosen)
Tertiary/Higher Education
University Education
Universities in Colombia offer study programmes at the undergraduate (pregrado) and graduate (posgrado) levels.
Undergraduate Level
- Duration: 4 to 5 years after Bachiller; 6 years for medicine
- Credential: Licentiate, professional
Graduate Level
Specialization Programmes
- Duration: 1-1.5 years
- Certificate awarded: Specialist (Especialista)
Masters Programme
- Duration: 2 years
- Certificate awarded: Master (Magister)
Doctorate Programmes
- Duration: 2 to 5 years
- Certificate awarded: Doctor
Higher Professional Education
Technological Programmes
- Duration: 3 to 4 years after Bachiller
- Certificate awarded: Technologist (tecnologo)
Technological Specialization Programme
- Duration: 1 to 2 years
- Certificate awarded: Specialist technologist (Tecnico especialista)
Professional Technical Programme
- Duration: 2.5 to 3 years
- Certificate awarded: Professional technician (Tecnico profesional)
Professional Technical Specialization Programmes
- Duration: 1 to 1.5 years
- Certificate awarded: Specialist professional technician (Tecnico profesional Especialista)
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