About this page

IST has collected a set of common questions (FAQ) and some helpful answers related to the students’ interest in regards to academic aspects.

Undergraduate Programmes

  1. Does IST demand entry requirements?

    • No entry requirements are necessary.
  2. Which academic degrees are conferred by IST?

    • Students who complete the 1st study cycle (first 3 years), IST confers a Bachelor’s degree, even if the students have applied to an Integrated Masters.
    • Students who complete the 2nd study cycle (2 years), IST confers a Master’s degree.
  3. How can I access the study plans of the programmes offered at IST?

  4. What is the difference between 1st and 2nd study cycle, in regards to job opportunities?

    • The 1st study cycle structure has no professional goals. One cannot, however, confuse professionalism with employability; the 1st cycle of studies will ensure a set of skills necessary to integrate the graduates in the labour market.
    • The 2nd cycle will allow students to deepen their knowledge, empowering them for a professional development activity, enhancing skills and project concept in the specialised field of work.
  5. If I graduate at IST will I encounter a prompt placement in the labour market?

    • According to data of May 2020, it shows that 44,1% of IST students are employed before concluding the course (MSc) and an average of 91,4% in the first 6 months after completion. 73% of 2nd Cycle graduates are employed in their field of study.
    • The strategic study on employability of IST students can be found in the webpage of IST Graduate Employability Observatory.
  6. If I join IST do I have to complete all my studies at IST or can I finish my 2nd study cycle in a foreign university?

    • The IST is proud to provide their students with the possibility to participate in various mobility programmes (ERASMUS, BRAZIL, SMILE, etc.), promoting the opportunity to study at one of its international partner universities. In some of these programmes there is the possibility to obtain double diploma: one from IST and another from the foreign university.
    • For further information, please consult the webpage of IST International Affairs Area.
  7. What is the ECTS? What are they for?

    • ECTS stands for “European Credit Transfer System”. ECTS is a standardized method in order to provide a common procedure to guarantee academic recognition of studies. It provides a way of measuring and comparing learning achievements and transferring them from one institution to another. These Credit Points indicate the student’s workload, which includes course attendance, the quantity of practical work, subject assessments and internships, as well as study and evaluation time. In IST it was established that 1 ECTS corresponds to 28 hours of workload.
    • In general, the duration of each study cycle is defined according to the following number of credits: 1st Cycle – Bachelor’s Degree grants 180 ECTS; 2nd Cycle – Master’s Degree grants 120 ECTS; 3rd cycle – PhD Degree or Life Long Learning Program grants 30 to 60 ECTS.

Master’s Degree

  1. I am a final year student in a 1st study cycle of an undergraduate degree course. Do I have to submit an application to pursue my studies in the same 2nd study cycle?

    • Yes, except for students that have started their studies at Técnico until the academic year 2020/21 (including), maintaining courses enrollment in the same year or the previous (2019/20), as well as being enrolled in 2021/22. More reading about the admission to the masters and the continuity masters is recommended.
  2. I am a final year student in a 1st study cycle of Integrated Master in Architecture at IST. Do I have to submit an application to pursue my studies in the following 2nd study cycle?

    • No, the admission to the 2nd cycle of this programme is automatic.
  3. I hold a pre-Bologna IST undergraduate Degree. May I apply for a master’s 2nd cycle programme in the same field?

    • Yes, you may.