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Technologists with third level degrees and master’s degrees in Ecuador
Posted On 14 May 2019
Ecuadornews:
Ray Guerra, 27, graduated as a Marketing Technologist after three years of studies and wanted to do a degree in the same career at the University of Guayaquil. “I did all the paperwork for the homologation, I thought I would go to a fifth or sixth semester, but it turns out that I had to start for the second semester and I also had to take the Bachiller exam again”, he tells disappointed, because his goal is to do a postgraduate or master’s degree.
Until before the reforms of August 2018 to the Organic Law of Higher Education (LOES), a person with a degree in technology who would like to pursue a postgraduate or master’s degree had to do first the degree in the university, since the technological master’s degree was not contemplated , and also technicians and technology were not considered third level titles.
The new LOES in its art. 118, on the levels of education of higher education, says that technical-technological and degree are considered of the third level, and that the technical-technological level corresponds to the professional qualifications of superior technician, superior technologist or its equivalent and superior technologist. academic.
“You can not punish a technologist who stays as a technologist all his life. Freedom is the most precious thing in this world and you have to give someone the opportunity to dream if they want to be a doctor or if they do not want to be too, “says Aldo Maino, president of the Association of Technological Institutes of Ecuador and rector of the Technological Spirit Santo, who adds that “was fought” a lot for this change.
Maino indicates that the law has a retroactive effect, “that is, all those who graduated with the title of technologist previously, within a year the Senescyt must update the registration of technological degrees at the third level”.
In the country there are 228 technological institutes and approximately 85,000 people are currently studying there. Each year between 15,000 and 20,000 students enter, according to Maino.
Regarding the technological graduate, the LOES states that “the qualifications of technological specialist and the academic degree of technological masters correspond to this level of education”. But it also says that only technical and technological postgraduate courses may be offered by technical and technological institutes that acquire the status of university superior. Likewise, before pursuing a technological master’s degree, the new law determines that one must have the title of Advanced University Technician, which, like postgraduate courses, can only be offered by the institutes that acquired the university status.
“Technologists can not directly offer a master’s degree until they do university technology, which is to comply with the times determined by the regulations. For example, if a person graduated from a technical career in two years, then he must complete at least three years, “explains Maino.
According to the Regulation of Higher Education, which gives higher education institutions the power to determine the duration of careers between a minimum and a maximum, on the third technical-technological level (see table), establishes that those of Higher technical education can last between two and four regular academic periods (PAO), this is academic semester; those of superior technology, from four to five PAO; and those of superior university technology, from six to seven PAO. Thus, the higher university technological institutes will go on to offer university technology before the master’s degree.
The regulation of higher education institutions of technical and technological education determines that for the institutes to acquire the status of university students they must comply with a series of requirements, among them: the justification for the existence of an organic structure in accordance with the condition of the institute. university superior, a strategic plan of updated institutional development; the project of at least one career at the university’s higher technological level; profile of teachers, etc.
Of the 228 institutes in the country, Maino believes that not all will qualify to acquire the status of university students.
The change in the law, according to Roberto Tolozano, rector of the Bolivarian Technical Institute, “marks a moment of maturity in the higher education system and is the definitive recognition of the value and importance that technological training has for a country that needs to develop agilely” .
Tolozano also believes in the revaluation of technological education by recognizing itself as third-level studies, “which will lead to an increase in the demand for this level of education”.
For Caterina Costa, president of the Chamber of Industries, “it is an important advance since it encourages the growth and specialization of this sector in our country; It has some resemblance to European legislation, where they make the difference between their own titles and official titles, here we have translated them into technical-technological titles and degrees, but in in principle it is the same “. Costa considers, however, that “we must still make more changes in the legislation so that this new diversification of the Academy enters into convergence with the real needs of the industry” (I)
