Higher Education Qualifications in Argentina

In Argentina, the higher education institutions offer the undergraduate as well as postgraduate degree programme. 

 The short degree programmes or technical degrees and diploma courses lasts for 2-3 years and provide intermediate or final degrees.

The undergraduate degree programmes consists of licentiate degrees, teaching degrees, and professional degrees in fields such as engineering, medicine, law, etc. 

Many of the higher education institutions in Argentina provide pregrado programmes along with grado programmes. 

Duration: 1.5 to 4 years

Certificate awarded: Titulo de Tecnico, Analista Universitario, Tecnico Universitario and Tecnico Superior (awarded depending upon the programme)

The tecnico universitario programmes are more theoretical and are offered in the following disciplines: technology, accounting, human resources, biology, management, computer technology, trade, tax, telecommunications, journalism, nutrition, and industrial organisation.

The analista universitario certificate is an intermediate qualification which is awarded after 1.5 to 3 years of study, and is part of an academic programme that leads to the degree of Licenciado or Titulo Profesional (a professional qualification). These are programmes in the following disciplines: management, public relations, banking and finance, interior architecture, environmental sciences, computer technology, industrial relations, accounting, and human resources. 

Duration: 4 to 7 years

Certificate awarded: Licenciado or Titulo Profesional (professional qualification) such as engineer (Ingeniero), lawyer (abogado), dentist (odontologo), architect (arquitecto), and doctor (medico)

The length of programmes in veterinary science, medicine, and dentistry is at least 6 years.

Students who receive this certificate are eligible for advance programmes in higher education, such as master’s and specialization programmes. A few of the programmes also offer admission to the doctorate programmes. 

The postgraduate degree consists of specializations, masters and doctorates. These degree programmes are developed by universities or research institutes (centros de investigacion), as well as by higher professional institutions (instituciones de formacion profesional superior)

The specialization programmes increases the knowledge of pupils within a particular subject or professional area. These programmes provide practical knowledge and skills. The programme ends with an individual final project and its defense. 

Certificate awarded: After successful completion of the programme, a certificate with the title Especialista is awarded, which specifies the field of study. 

Duration: The duration of these programmes vary from several months to 4 years. 

Admission requisite: To take admittance into these programmes, students must have completed an associated grado programme.

In Argentina higher education, there are 2 types of master's degree programmes: 

Academic master’s (Maestria Academica): This type of master’s programme emphasize at research in a single or an interdisciplinary knowledge area, and ends with the writing and submission of a thesis. 

Professional master’s (Maestria Profesional): This type of master’s programme emphasize on improving skills and knowledge in a particular field or profession, and ends with an artistic production, a case study, or a project. 

Both of these programmes end with a presentation of a final project (trabajo final) or a thesis. 

Certificate awarded: After successful completion of the programme, Magister degree is awarded, which will state one of the following: the specialisation undertaken, the interdisciplinary field, a profession, or a field of applicability.

Duration:1 to 3 years

Study hours: A master's programmes requires at least 700 hours, out of which at least 540 hours are devoted to classes, seminars or similar activities, and the remaining hours are for the final work or other additional tasks/activities. 

Admission requisite: To gain admittance into a posgrado programme, students must have completed a 4-year grado undergraduate degree.

A Doctor degree is the highest academic qualification attainable in Argentina. 

Duration: 2 to 6 years (Varies; and is set by the institutions individually)

The doctorate programme consists of an independent academic research in one or multiple fields. This degree programme concludes with a dissertation. A public dissertation defense in Spanish is mandatory.