Non-tertiary Education
Non-tertiary education in Macao has been classified into two types: formal education and continuing education. The former includes kindergartens, primary schooling, secondary schooling (junior and senior section), as well as special education and vocational and technical education. The latter comprises various educational activities other than formal education, including family education, recurrent education, community education, vocational training and other educational activities.
Compulsory Education
Compulsory education is defined as universal education that is compulsory for all minors aged five to 15. It begins in the first academic year when a child turns five years old, and finishes with the end of the academic year in which he or she reaches 15 years of age, or when he or she completes junior secondary education with a pass. The Government and education institutions are obliged to ensure that school-age children complete such education.
Equality in Receiving Education
Macao is the first region in Greater China to provide 15 years of free education in the stage of normal education, and meanwhile providing tuition fee subsidies to students who are studying in schools that are out of the free education network. The government is providing environment and resources in the development of recurrent education, and relearning opportunities to those have not finished or passed primary, junior secondary and senior secondary school in appropriate age.
Academic Structure of Non-Tertiary Education
Infant education, junior secondary education and senior education last for three years at each stage, and primary education lasts for six years.
Special education is to be conducted preferentially in regular schools in the form of inclusive education; it can also be conducted in special education institutions in other forms.
Courses of vocational and technical education can be established in schools of formal education and recurrent education.
School System
The Government encourages schools to develop their own characteristics and style in terms of mission, curriculum development and teaching mode. The Government also supports the development of a diverse school system to nurture more talent for society.
The Macao school system comprises a free education network of public schools and subsidised private schools, together with private schools. Private schools in Macao can be classified into two types: those following the local education system and those following a non-local education system. Non-profit private schools that follow the local education system may apply for entry to the free education network.
There are 76 schools in Macao during the 2023/2024 academic year, of which 8 are public schools, while the remaining 68 are private.
Among the 68 private schools, 63 offered only formal education, 2 offered both formal education and recurrent education, and 3 offered only recurrent education. Among the 73 schools (including 8 public schools and 65 private schools) that offered formal education, 67 were under the free education network, 5 were under the paid education network and 1 was under non-local curriculum.
Free Education Subsidies and Tuition Fee Subsidies
The Government offers free education subsidies to private schools within the free education network. Students studying in schools that do not provide free education are provided with tuition fee subsidies. The amount of both types of subsidy have been continuously increased.
| Education Level | 2023/2024 Academic Year Free Education Subsidies |
2023/2024 Academic Year Tuition Fee Subsidies |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | MOP 1,063,800 per class | MOP 20,970 per student |
| Primary | MOP 1,159,100 per class | MOP 23,140 per student |
| Junior Secondary | MOP 1,396,800 per class | MOP 25,480 per student |
| Senior Secondary | MOP 1,584,300 per class | MOP 25,480 per student |
Other Allowances
In the 2009/2010 academic year, the Government started to offer textbook allowances to students who are Macao residents receiving formal education (including public and private schools) in Macao.
The textbook allowances for students of secondary and primary schools and kindergarten in the 2023/2024 academic year are MOP 3,550, MOP 3,000 and MOP 2,400 per head. The Government also grants a tuition subsidy, meal subsidy and school supplies subsidy to students whose family has financial difficulties and meet relevant household income requirements. The tuition subsidy for each senior secondary student is MOP9,000, MOP 6,000 for junior student and MOP4,000 for primary and kindergarten student; the meal subsidy for each student is MOP 3,950; the school supplies subsidy received by each kindergarten and primary school student is MOP 2,600 and secondary school student is MOP 3,350 in the 2023/2024 academic year.
Continuing Education Development Plan
To encourage life-long learning among residents, the Government launched the fifth phase of Continuing Education Development Plan in 2023. Under the plan, Macao residents are encouraged to purse continuing education to improve personal attainments and skills in order to adapt to the development of moderate economic diversification and build a learning society. The fifth phase of the plan lasts from 1st July 2023 to 31st December 2026, during the period, residents reach 15-year-old or above will be sponsored MOP 6,000, which can be used to participate in local and overseas continuing education programmes, tertiary education and certificate examinations.
Enquiries about Information of Macao Non-tertiary Educational Schools
School Places Consultation and Allocation
Tertiary Education
Macao only started to develop modern tertiary education some 40 years ago. Since there were only a few tertiary education institutions in the early days, the range of programmes and disciplines offered by these institutions was relatively limited. However, as the number of institutions increased, and society demanded different types of expertise, the types of programme have diversified, nurturing talents that are needed for Macao.
Macao has 10 tertiary educational institutions. Four of them are public and six are private, including teaching and research integrated universities, polytechnic university emphasizes on applied knowledge and skills, academies nurturing elites in tourism and MICE, gaming, nursing and senior management.
In addition, overseas institutions were granted approval to offer 11 tertiary educational programmes in 2022.
Promote the Cultivation of Diverse Talents
The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) actively promotes the training of different types of talents, which is in line with Macao’s moderately diversified economic development, the “One Center, One Platform and One Base” positioning, as well as the objectives of making Macao a regional tourism training base and a Chinese and Portuguese training base in the Greater Bay Area. Through the communication mechanism established with Macao’s universities (such as: Coordination with the ‘Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance’ and participation in the ‘Alliance for Developing Macao into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Tourism Education and Training Base’), the DSEDJ learns talents’ needs and support them with different incentives. The DSEDJ actively promotes the training of different types of talents through the communication mechanism established with local universities to listen to their needs and provide support with different incentives.
The SAR Government has been running the ‘Annual Funding Plan for Higher Education Institutions’ through the Education Fund since 2022 to fund local private tertiary institutions in implementing relevant education programmes and activities. Of these projects, ‘tertiary education collaboration and development programmes’ include Sino-Portuguese talent training and education collaboration and tourism education and training development to leverage local tertiary institutions’ academic advantages and promote talent training in relevant fields.
In 2022, the ‘Sino-Portuguese talent training and education collaboration’ subsidy programme funded a total of 10 applications to publish textbooks and for training and exchange activities in three private tertiary institutions, and the subsidised projects are being carried out progressively in 2023. As for the funding plan for the 2023/2024 academic year, nine applications to publish textbooks and for training and exchange activities have been received from two private tertiary institutions to date. In 2022, the ‘tourism education and training development’ subsidy programme funded a total of five applications for publicity and promotion, and training and exchange from three private tertiary institutions, and the subsidised projects are being carried out progressively in 2023. As for the funding plan for the academic year 2023/2024, three applications for publicity and promotion, training and exchange have been received from two private tertiary institutions to date.
Promote Exchanges and Cooperation in line with National Development
Since the promulgation of the Outline of the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in February 2019, the cooperation and exchanges among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the field of higher education have been boosted. Since then, in line with the major development direction of the country, the cooperation has been deepened. Under the framework of the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance”, a number of professional alliances have been formed, including the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance”, the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Library Alliance” and the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Engineering Alliance”, which has given full play to the advantages of the three places for common development. At present, there are 7 universities in Macao under the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance”, including the University of Macao, Polytechnic University of Macao, Macao University of Tourism, Macao University of Science and Technology, City University of Macao, University of Saint Joseph and Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macao.
In recent years, Macao tertiary institutions have also joined the inauguration of the ‘Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance’ and the ‘Global Consortium of Metropolitan Universities’, and jointly established the ‘Sino-Portuguese Youth Exchange and Cooperation Base’ and the ‘China-Portugal Joint Laboratory of Cultural Heritage Conservation Science’ to work in tandem with the country’s strategies and intensify regional cooperation and exchange.
The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) supports the development of the alliances and organisations through actively participating in relevant activities and work. The ‘Annual Funding Plan for Higher Education Institutions’ established by the Education Fund in 2022 includes specialised subsidy programmes supporting other inter-institutional or regional cooperation and exchange projects in the hope of propelling higher education cooperation projects between local tertiary institutions and the SAR Government, participation in or launch of tertiary institution alliances in the Greater Bay Area and even in other regions, and higher education collaboration projects among other regions. In 2022, the ‘other school alliances or regional cooperation and exchange projects’ subsidy programme funded a total of six training and exchange activities in three private tertiary institutions, and the subsidised projects are being carried out progressively in 2023. As for the funding plan for the academic year 2023/2024, seven applications for training and exchange activities have been received from three private tertiary institutions to date.
DSEDJ has intensified efforts to arrange for leaders and faculty members of local tertiary institutions to engage in research and study exchange in the mainland to enhance their knowledge of national affairs and the development trend of higher education. These activities include the ‘Seventh Course on National Affairs for Macao Middle-aged and Young Tertiary Teachers’ co-organised by DSEDJ and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR in June 2023, and the ‘Study Group for Leaders of Macao Tertiary Institutions’ coordinated by Peking University and the ‘Course on National Affairs and General Education for Faculty Members of Macao Tertiary Institutions’ coordinated by South China Normal University, which were both held in July and organised by the Ministry of Education in association with DSEDJ.
In terms of intensifying regional exchange and cooperation, DSEDJ took an exchange tour to Portugal in April and May 2023 focusing on cooperation in higher education, Macao students’ continuing education in Portugal, and education in the Portuguese language, and visited and signed agreements with a number of Portuguese education institutions, including the agreement on ‘Promoting Exchange, Cooperation and Training in the Field of Portuguese Teaching and Learning’ with Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the ‘Cooperation Protocol for Macao Students Continuing Studies in the University of Porto’ with the University of Porto and the Portuguese Institute of the Orient, and the agreement on ‘Establishing Sisterhood between Escola Secundária de Cacilhas-Tejo and Luís Gonzaga Gomes Luso-Chinese Secondary School’ with Escola Secundária de Cacilhas-Tejo. In July of the same year, DSEDJ also signed the agreement on ‘Cooperation in the Field of Portuguese Learning and Teaching’ with the Portuguese Polytechnics Coordinating Council. The three public tertiary institutions, namely University of Macau, Macao Polytechnic University and Macao University of Tourism also entered into cooperation agreements with the University of Lisboa, University of Porto, Universidade de Coimbra, and Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies in Portugal respectively, in the hope of leveraging Macao’s advantages as the Sino-Portuguese platform and intensifying the academic and scientific research cooperation between the two regions in multiple fields.
To strengthen exchange and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, representatives from DSEDJ and seven tertiary institutions, including the University of Macau, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao University of Tourism, Macau University of Science and Technology, City University of Macau, University of Saint Joseph and Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau took a student admission and exchange tour to Malaysia in April 2023. They forged ties with renowned Malaysian tertiary institutions and visited major local Chinese educational organisations and media outlets to further educational cooperation between the two regions and promote higher education in Macao. The seven higher education institutions signed cooperation agreements with the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia to step up publicity efforts and education consultancy targeting Malaysian students, and recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) of the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools to facilitate Malaysian students’ applications for Macao tertiary institutions.
Following the first forum in 2018, the second Forum for Presidents of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was jointly held in October 2022 by DSEDJ and other members of the Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance including the University of Macau, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau University of Science and Technology, City University of Macau and University of Saint Joseph and coordinated by the City University of Macau. Under the theme of ‘International Cooperation Strategies in Higher Education between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries under the Pandemic’, the forum attracted over 40 presidents of higher education institutions and heads and experts of relevant units from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries to discuss international cooperation, innovation, challenges and other issues related to tertiary education.
DSEDJ has been running innovation and entrepreneurship events since 2017 to create favourable conditions for university students faced with the choices of further study, employment and entrepreneurship, and to deepen their understanding of the support for youth startups available in Greater Bay Area cities and help them obtain more information for future development planning.
Reinforcing talent cultivation and promoting collaborative growth of industry, education and research sectors
DSEDJ supports local tertiary institutions in leveraging their strengths to nurture various types of talent in cooperation with moderate economic diversification. In the 2023/2024 academic year, the University of Macau is offering new master’s degree programmes in areas such as Medicinal Administration, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Coastal Environment and Safety, and Innovative Materials, and is co-running collaborative programmes with top-tier mainland universities including the 2+2 SCUT (Civil Engineering) Programme with the South China University of Technology and the 2+4 ZJU (Biomedical Sciences – Clinical Medicine) Programme with the Zhejiang University. The Macao Polytechnic University is offering new degree programmes in the 2023/2024 academic year in areas such as Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Finance with Data Analytics, Educational Technology and Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Communication and Education, and Media Arts, as well as the dual doctoral programme in information technology with the University of Bologna in Italy, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme with the Peking University Health Science Center, and the dual BA-BSc degree programme in translation and computer science with the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. The Macao University of Tourism is rolling out the Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s Degree (MSc) in Digital Marketing and Analytics programmes in the 2023/2024 academic year, and has been collaborating with the United Nations World Tourism Organization on postgraduate programmes and offering the 3+1 Dual Bachelor Programme with two of the world’s top institutions in Switzerland.
Local tertiary institutions have been proactively building demonstration bases for industry-education-research and tourism education and training bases to facilitate growth of the industries. The University of Macau has accelerated the building of its demonstration base for industry-education-research in Hengqin and the scientific research venues of the phases 1-3 of the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute (ZUMRI) have now been fully constructed, which will further promote the application and transfer of technological achievements in the Greater Bay Area. Through the Engineering Research Centre of Applied Technology on Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Education and the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, the Macao Polytechnic University has integrated academic resources in artificial intelligence with those in Chinese-Portuguese translation and those in Chinese and Western medicines respectively and organised dedicated teams to conduct applied scientific research. The Macao University of Tourism is providing the Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS) training and assessment through its five collaboration centres in the Greater Bay Area to propel the development of tourism education in the region. UTM has also founded and has been constantly enhancing its industry-supported learning bases — the Educational Restaurant and the renovated educational hotel Pousada de Mong-Há — and has established iRetail Lab and Ideation Lab to develop students’ practical abilities.
To support talent cultivation and collaborative growth of industry, education and research sectors, DSEDJ has stepped up efforts in promoting the scientific research strength and achievements of Macao tertiary institutions and in 2023 filmed a promotional video on local tertiary institutions’ anti-epidemic research achievements to introduce the efficacy and application of their anti-epidemic research products to all sectors of society. In the meantime, DSEDJ regularly reinforces publicity on the cultivation and growth of polytechnic and technological talent at local tertiary institutions through the radio programme ‘DSEDJ Community’. In 2023, DSEDJ introduced the participation of local tertiary institutions in the national aerospace industry development, their smart tourism technology programmes, opportunities in new artificial intelligence technology, and the advancement and opportunities in financial technology. Furthermore, to acquaint local youths and students with the integrated circuit (IC) industry development in Hengqin and Macao and expand the prospects for their future career, DSEDJ and the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Zhuhai Academy for Advanced Integrated Circuit jointly ran the ‘Guangdong and Macao with the Core (IC) to Create a Common Future — Popular Science of IC Industry’ campaign between 2022 and 2023. During the campaign, three Hengqin tours were organised for around 100 youths and students from Macao to learn about the IC industry development. Industrial experts were arranged to give science lectures for over 200 students at the University of Macau, Macau University of Science and Technology and Saint Joseph Secondary School 5, introducing them to knowledge of IC, and the development status and prospects of the technology and IC industries in the In-depth Cooperation Zone. These lectures have offered further inspiration for the participants when they make choices in regard to further studies and career, facilitated their engagement in the overall advancement of the In-depth Cooperation Zone, and injected vitality into the IC industry in Hengqin and Macao.
Coordinate the enrollment of Macao universities in the Mainland
In 2023, the University of Macau, Macau Polytechnic University, Macau Institute for Tourism Studies, Macau University of Science and Technology, City University of Macau and Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macao were approved by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China to admit undergraduate and postgraduate students from 31 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions in the Mainland China. The University of Saint Joseph has been approved by the Ministry of Education to admit postgraduate students from the Mainland China on a pilot basis from the academic year 2021-2022 in the three provinces (cities) of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.
Coordinate the enrollment of mainland universities in Macau
Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) is one of the entry points for mainland universities to enroll undergraduates and postgraduates from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
In the academic year 2023-2024, 157 students applied for the “Joint Entrance Examination of Ordinary Universities in China for Overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Students (Macao)” and 1,416 students applied for the “Joint Entrance Exam of Ordinary Universities in Mainland China for Macao’s Recommended Students”. 363 students applied for the Examination for Postgraduate Courses in Mainland China Universities (Macau).
In addition, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, a total of 17 Mainland China universities have accepted the results of the “Joint Admission Examination for Four Higher Education Institutions” when recruiting Macao students this year. Each university will set its own minimum admission score or interview requirements based on the results of the “Joint Entrance Examination”.
Tertiary Studies and Career Information and Related Activities
The government of the SAR provides residents with information on higher education, employment and social affairs through different platforms, such as mobile applications and other new media platforms to spread relevant information conveniently, at the same time encourage residents to get themselves prepared for their future careers.
Promoting Macao’s higher education endeavours
To promote higher education in Macao and raise the reputation of local higher education institutions, the DSEDJ has organized a number of educational fairs in Beijing, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The DSEDJ has been to 30 Mainland China provinces (cities) for enrollment seminar to attract Mainland students and raise their awareness of Macao’s higher education. In response to the Pandemic and immigration restrictions imposed by various countries and regions, the DSEDJ has organized online international education fairs involving local tertiary institutions held by BMI (Business Marketing International Limited) in 2020 and 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the DSEDJ is planning to organize local institutions to participate in the “2022 China International Education Exhibition” in Guangzhou and Chengdu and the online international education exhibition held by BMI, so as to introduce to students from different regions the higher education and programmes, campus life and scholarships in Macao. At the same time, the DSEDJ will also strengthen its efforts to promote enrollment from the Greater Bay Area.
In April 2023, when the epidemic subsided, DSEDJ coordinated local tertiary institutions that are allowed to recruit mainland students to join the 28th China International Education Exhibition Tour organised by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange in Beijing and Chongqing and held information sessions about further study at the Office of the Macao Special Administrative Region in Beijing and key secondary schools in Chongqing. In late-April 2023, DSEDJ visited Malaysia for student recruitment and exchange, and invited the local influential Chinese media outlet Sin Chew Daily to promote the strengths and features of Macao tertiary institutions through its different channels including the newspaper, digital platform (www.sinchew.com.my), Facebook page and Telegram. At these Malaysian secondary schools, DSEDJ also held recruitment exchange sessions for further studies guidance personnel and information sessions for local students and their parents with the aim of deepening Malaysians’ understanding of Macao tertiary institutions. In June, DSEDJ held the ‘Macao Tertiary Institution Promotion Day’ in Foshan, where these institutions provided information on further studies in Macao through in-person consultation booths and education talks in a hybrid format.
To amplify the promotional effect, DSEDJ has coordinated with the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange to regularly publish information about Macao tertiary institutions, their programme features and prominent disciplines on the centre’s ‘Study in China’ official website and online platforms (such as the ‘Study in China’ Facebook page), and communicated with education and admission departments, education institutions and education publications in mainland provinces and cities to reinforce publicity and push mainland student admission updates from Macao tertiary institutions across online media platforms such as WeChat official accounts and official websites. Moreover, DSEDJ has coordinated with the Hong Kong-based further studies service organisation Hok Yau Club and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups to provide and publish information about Macao tertiary institutions and their popular programmes, scholarships and grants, and admission arrangements on the ‘Study in Macao’ column of the organisations’ websites and electronic publications Prospect Guide 2023 and DSE Exam Results Tips 2023. DSEDJ has also launched the promotional video series ‘Study in Macao’ with foreign students sharing their experience of studying and living in the city. The videos featuring Malaysian students were already launched in June and July 2023 and published through various channels including DSEDJ, Macao tertiary institutions, and Malaysian social media platforms. DSEDJ has also communicated with the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry to share promotional information about Macao tertiary institutions via their channels in order to attract Portuguese students to study in Macao.
Tertiary Student Activities
The DSEDJ actively establishes exchange and internship platforms for students of tertiary institutions, with a view to developing their worldview, strengthening their general knowledge and language competence, and encouraging them to go abroad for exchanges and learning, to broaden their global vision, meanwhile, to accumulate social experience, and to broaden their social network, and get prepared for their future career.
To enrich the extracurricular life of tertiary students and facilitate their all-round development, the Tertiary Education Services Office organises a wide variety of competitions and activities for them every year. It also works with different community groups and organisations in organising various competitions and activities related to culture, sports and professional skills.
Subsidies for Tertiary Student Activities
Through the Annual Funding Plan for Activities for Integrated Student Development, the DSEDJ supports a wide range of student activities, including those that excite students’ interests, promote all-round development of students and align with the policies of the SAR Government. As of 30 June 2023, 13 societies and 2 institutions had been funded to organize 38 student activities in higher education institutions.
Disbursing Postgraduate Scholarships
In order to nurture the professional talents needed in Macao and to engage more Macao residents and students in tertiary education, the Education Fund will continue to implement the Subsidy Scheme for Junior College Students in the 2022-2023 academic year, covering tertiary education programmes from Foundation to PhD levels, through scholarships, special grants, special bursaries and loans. Meanwhile, Loan Scheme with Interest Subsidy provides interest subsidy on loans for students at Bachelor level or below. In addition, the “Scholarship Scheme for Study at Top Institutions” will continue to be implemented in the 2022-2023 academic year for students at bachelor level in top institutions.
Postgraduate Scholarships Grants Committee
Service Platform for Scholarships, Student Loans and Financial Support Awarded by Government Entities (Chinese version only)
Learning Material Subsidy for Higher Education Students
In 2021/2022 academic year, the Macao SAR Government provided a MOP 3,300 allowance for learning material to each local tertiary student studying in Macao and overseas.
Higher Education Quality Assurance
In order to ensure the quality of higher education, promote the development of higher education, improve the academic, teaching and research level of higher education institutions, and ensure the quality and continuous improvement of higher education programs, Macao’s “Higher Education Quality Evaluation System” was officially implemented in August 2018. It is set at both the institutional level and program level. The institutional level includes Institutional Accreditation and Institutional Quality Audit. The Institutional Accreditation can be applied by institutions seeking to be qualified to self-regulate and offer programs, thereby enhancing the autonomy and flexibility of the institutions in terms of running schools and developing curriculum, whereas the Institutional Quality Audit reviews the operation of higher education institutions on a regular basis to identify their good practices and room for improvement.
At program level there are Program Accreditation and Program Review. The former evaluates whether the newly opened programs of the higher education institutions or the programs that have been substantially changed can achieve the objectives and learning outcomes. The Program Review looks into the quality and room for improvement of the higher education programs on a regular basis for the purpose of continuous enhancement.
In order to better implement the Higher Education Quality Evaluation System and to set relevant principles and procedures, the Higher Education Bureau has also developed five evaluation guidelines for institutions and external appraisal agencies, including the Guidelines on Institutional Accreditation, Guidelines on Institutional Quality Audit, Guidelines on Program Accreditation, Guidelines on Program Review and Guidelines for External Quality Assurance Agencies.
Therefore, in order to ensure that the evaluation meets the requirements of Macao, institutions must select appropriate external appraisal agencies and conduct evaluation in accordance with the requirements of the above guidelines. In addition, the SAR Government invites experts and scholars in the field of quality assurance in higher education to form a quality evaluation panel for the executive authorities to seek advice from.
Webpage of Quality Assurance for Higher Education
Processing Applications for Subsidies for Macao Tertiary Institutions and Professional Development Subsidies for Teaching and Research Staff
To assist tertiary institutions with improving their teaching equipment and facilities, the Government has begun working on raising education quality, and encouraging the institutions’ teaching staff to actively participate in and commence academic and professional activities that are conducive to their personal and professional development. DSEDJ processes applications for subsidies for Macao tertiary institutions and subsidies for professional development of tertiary teaching staff in Macao.
System tool subsidy for Macau Academic Library Alliance
To support the growth of and resource sharing among libraries in Macao tertiary institutions, facilitate collaboration among local higher education institutions, and coordinate the collaborative mechanism for resource sharing among the libraries, the former Higher Education Fund funded 9 local tertiary institutions in 2022 in purchasing 11 electronic databases, the MALA Hub, and 3 scientific research and patent analysis tools.
Tertiary Educational Institutions
University of Macau
The University of Macau (UM) is an international public integrated university founded in 1981,UM has been operated as a modern, international university where most programmes are conducted in English and 80% of faculty members are recruited worldwide. UM nurtures talent with a holistic education strategy and boasts of the largest residential college system in Asia.
It has faculties of Humanities, Business Administration, Education, Health Sciences, Law, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, College of Honor, Graduate School and Center for Continuing Education. It also has research institutes such as the Institute of Chinese Medicine, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Institute of Microelectronics, and Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. Meanwhile, there are three State Key Laboratories in the areas of microelectronics, Chinese medicine and the Internet of Things for Smart Cities. In addition, it is ranked 201st-250th in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 37th among Asian universities and 254th in the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings, and ranked 301st– 400th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Macao Polytechnic University
Established in 1991, Macao Polytechnic University (MPU was formerly known as the Macao Polytechnic Institute and renamed on 1 March 2022) is a public higher education institution that cultivates highly qualified professionals with a global perspective. MPU has faculties in Arts, Applied Sciences, Management Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health Sciences and Sports, Languages and Translation, and the Peking University Health Science Center- Macao Polytechnic University Nursing Academy. It also has various academic units and training centers, as well as the first Engineering Research Center in Hong Kong and Macau approved by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. It continues to promote R&D in key areas such as Sino-Portuguese-English translation, innovation and technology, gaming management, arts and culture, and collaborates with world-renowned universities to make high-level academic achievements.
MPU was Asia’s first higher education institution to be accredited by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education. It is also the first higher education institution in Macau winning the National Teaching Achievement Award and the only higher education institution in China that has twice received the Asia-Pacific Quality Awards from the Asia-Pacific Quality Network. In addition, it is ranked 101st-200th in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (Sustainable cities and communities).
Macao University of Tourism
Established in 1995, the Macao University of Tourism is a public institution of higher education whose mission is to cultivate professionals and industry leaders for the tourism industry. UTM was the first United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) TedQual Institution in tourism education. In 2017, UTM became the world’s first higher education institution to pass International Quality Review (IQR) from UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). UTM’s Hospitality and Leisure Management discipline ranks 23rd in the world and 3rd in Asia on the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings by Subject 2022, and 51st-75th in the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
UTM has an extensive network of contacts with global industry partners and faculty members from around the world. UTM also offers hundreds of professional training courses for working professionals.
Academy of Public Security Forces
The Academy of Public Security Forces (ESFSM) was established in July 1988 as a training division of the Office of the Secretary for Security (GSS) and it is also a higher education institution of the Macao SAR. Its main responsibilities are to provide the Public Security Forces and other security agencies with bachelor programmes of Police Science, Prison Security and Engineering in Protection and Security; master’s and doctoral degrees in Internal Public Security, Criminal Science, Disaster and Rescue, Civil Defense, Customs and Maritime Transport Surveillance Activities and Prison Security; and other degree or certificate programmes. In 2022, the institution was authorized to offer the first joint master’s degree programme with the University of Macau to train talents specialized in law and public security management at a higher level.
In addition, the College co-organizes with Public Security Forces and other security agencies on-the-job coaching for promotion. Pre-employment training is also provided for candidates entering Public Security Police Force (CPSP), Fire Service Bureau (CB), Customs of Macao Special Administrative Region (SA) and Correctional Services Bureau (DSC).
The City University of Macau
City University of Macau changed ownership in September 2010 and was officially renamed in 2011. The University is a private university offering higher education programmes, including the Faculty of Business, Faculty of International Tourism and Management, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Innovation and Design, Faculty of Finance, School of Education, School of Law, Graduate School, School of Continuing Education and the Open Education. It also has 11 institutes, including the Research Center for Macao Social and Economic Development, Institute for Research On Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Macau ‘One Belt, One Road’ Research Center, Faculty of Data Science and Institute of Analytical Psychology.
It is ranked 89th in ShanghaiRanking’s Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China.The Hospitality and Tourism Management discipline ranked 51-75th in the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022.
University of Saint Joseph
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ), previously known as the Macau Inter-University Institute (IIUM), is a private university established in 1996 by the Catholic Foundation for Higher Education and renamed University of Saint Joseph in December 2009.
USJ has 3 campuses including Saint Joseph Seminary, NAPE campus and Ilha Verde campus. It comprises the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy, Institute of Science and Environment, Faculty of Business and Law, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, and Lifelong Learning Office. Except for the Master’s Degree of Lusophone Studies in Linguistics and Literature taught in Portuguese and the Bachelor’s Degree in Portuguese-Chinese Translation Studies taught in Chinese and Portuguese, the remaining degree programs are taught in English.
Starting from the 2021-2022 academic year, the University has been granted permission by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China to recruit postgraduate students on a pilot basis in the Mainland China, namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong. In addition, it is ranked 301st-400th in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (Quality Education).
Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau
Founded in 1923 and formerly known as the Kiang Wu Nursing and Midwifery School, Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macao became a private tertiary institution in November 1999 specialized in the training of nursing staff. The College is one of the oldest nursing education institutions in Macau and received confidence ratings from and be credited with 4 good practices by the UK Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education in an institutional quality audit (IQA). The College offers bachelor’s, master’s and post-degree certificate and diploma programmes in nursing and health sciences. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the College will move into a nursing teaching building next to the Islands Medical Complex and continue to train nursing professionals for Macau.
Macau University of Science and Technology
Founded in March 2000, Macao University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) is the first non-profit comprehensive university established after the Macao SAR was set up. It focuses on the training of practical talents and currently comprises the Faculty of Information Technology, School of Business, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Faculty of Medicine, University International College, School of Pharmacy, School of Liberal Arts and the Department of General Education.
It also owns a number of institutes and research centers, including the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, Institute for Social and Cultural Research, Macau Institute of Smart City, and Macau Research Center for International Standard of Chinese Medicines. The University Hospital affiliated to the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation is a base for clinical teaching, research and internship for the University’s Faculty of Chinese Medicine and School of Health Sciences. In addition, the University is ranked 505th in the latest “QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings” and among the top 201st-250th universities in the world in the latest “Times Higher Education” (THE), in addition, it is ranked 401st-500th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Macau Institute of Management
Macau Institute of Management (MIM) was established in 1988. It is the academic arm of the Macau Management Association, specializing in providing education and training services. Approved by the Macao SAR Government in July 2000, MIM was upgraded to become a higher education institution that offers training for management professionals.
MIM offers the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program (four years), Associate of Business Administration diploma program (two years) and the diploma program (one year), adopting an integrative learning approach in addition to face-to-face teaching. Students can arrange their on-line class time according to their own schedule. It also works with an overseas university in jointly organizing a Master’s degree program. In 2019, the Bachelor of Business Administration programme (Accounting) is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Macau Millennium College
The Macau Millennium College is a private tertiary education institution established in August 2001. To accommodate the needs of shift workers, the college offers ‘shift classes for shift workers.’ The two shift classes have identical lecture content. Students can choose to attend either the morning or evening sessions. Lecturers are mainly internationally renowned professors from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
