Higher Education
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Higher education is provided by universities, higher institutes, higher pedagogical institutes, centres of higher education and higher polytechnic institutes. Cuba has 47 universities and total university enrollment is approximately 112,000 citizens.
All higher education institutions are public. The University of Havana, Cuba's oldest university, was founded in 1728. Other official universities included Universidad de Oriente (founded in 1947) and Universidad Central de Las Villas (founded in 1952). There is also the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva (founded in 1946); Universidad Masónica, and the Universidad de la Salle in Nuevo Vedado.
Distance Education is offered in 15 centres across the country, which provide regular afternoon and evening courses for workers. The scheme offers five degrees in Law, History, Scientific and Technological Information, Accounting and Finance and Economics. There are approximately 20,000 students taking the five degrees offered in all the centres of the country, about 50% of whom are at the Universidad de La Habana. These studies are offered as evening or correspondence courses (week-ends) and generally last for six years. There are also 'guided' or free courses open to all secondary school or higher education graduates.
To enter university, students must pass an entry examination to show they possess the basic knowledge required. Candidates for distance education must have completed secondary school, have at least one year's work experience, be between 25 and 35 years of age and pass an entrance examination. The general requirements to access university-college level education in Cuba are:
- To present proof of lower level studies completed.
- For males, to show evidence of Mandatory Military Service (National Law No. 75/1994) completed or similar accomplishment (many people are not levied due to medical reasons, family reasons, etc.).
- To successfully pass Higher Education Access examinations, which are from subjects: Mathematics, Spanish Language and Literature, and History.
The Ministry of Higher Education (Ministerio de Educación Superior, MES) is responsible for policy in matters of undergraduate and postgraduate education. It controls teaching, methodology, courses and programs and the allocation of student places, as well as the specialization courses offered by centres of higher education that come under the control of other ministries. All institutions have the same status. In 1979 the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education initiated a scheme of Distance Education.
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