Aninstitute of technology (also referred to astechnological university,technical university,university of technology,polytechnic university) is an institution oftertiary education that specializes inengineering,technology,applied science, andnatural sciences.
The institutes of technology and polytechnics have been in existence since at least the 18th century, but became popular afterWorld War II with the expansion of engineering and applied science education, associated with the new needs created byindustrialization. The world's first institution of technology, the Berg-Schola (today its legal successor is theUniversity of Miskolc[1][failed verification]), was founded by the Court Chamber of Vienna inSelmecbánya,Kingdom of Hungary (nowBanská Štiavnica, Slovakia), in 1735 in order to train specialists of precious metal and copper mining according to the requirements of the industrial revolution in Hungary. The oldest German Institute of Technology is theBraunschweig University of Technology, founded in 1745 as "Collegium Carolinum". The FrenchÉcole Polytechnique was founded in 1794. In some cases, polytechnics or institutes of technology are engineering schools or technical colleges.
In several countries, like Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey and Taiwan, institutes of technology are institutions ofhigher education and have been accredited to award academic degrees and doctorates. Famous examples are theIstanbul Technical University,ETH Zurich,Delft University of Technology,RWTH Aachen andNational Taiwan University of Science and Technology all considered universities.
In countries like Iran, Finland, Malaysia, Portugal, Singapore or the United Kingdom, there is often a significant and confused distinction between polytechnics and universities. In the UK, a binary system of higher education emerged consisting of universities (research orientation) and polytechnics (engineering and applied science and professional practice orientation). Polytechnics offered university equivalent degrees mainly inSTEM subjects frombachelor's,master's andPhD that were validated and governed at the national level by the independent UKCouncil for National Academic Awards. In 1992, UK polytechnics were designated as universities which meant they could award their own degrees. The CNAA was disbanded. The UK's first polytechnic, the Royal Polytechnic Institution (now theUniversity of Westminster), was founded in 1838 in Regent Street, London. InIreland the term "institute of technology" is the more favored synonym of a "regional technical college" though the latter is the legally correct term; however,Dublin Institute of Technology was a university in all but name as it can confer degrees in accordance with law;Cork Institute of Technology[2] and other Institutes of Technology have delegated authority from HETAC to make awards to and including master's degree level—Level 9 of Ireland's National Framework for Qualifications (NFQ)—for all areas of study and Doctorate level in a number of others. In 2018, Ireland passed the Technological Universities Act, which allowed a number of Institutes of Technology to transform into Technological Universities.[3]
In a number of countries, although being today generally considered similar institutions of higher learning across many countries, polytechnics and institutes of technology used to have a quite different statute among each other, its teaching competences and organizational history. In many cases, "polytechnic" were elite technological universities concentrating on applied science and engineering and may also be a former designation for a vocational institution, before it has been granted the exclusive right to award academic degrees and can be truly called an "institute of technology". A number of polytechnics providing higher education is simply a result of a formal upgrading from their original and historical role as intermediate technical education schools. In some situations, former polytechnics or other non-university institutions have emerged solely through an administrative change of statutes, which often included a name change with the introduction of new designations like "institute of technology", "polytechnic university", "university of applied sciences" or "university of technology" for marketing purposes.[4][5] Such emergence of so many upgraded polytechnics, former vocational education and technical schools converted into more university-like institutions has caused concern where the lack of specialized intermediate technical professionals lead to industrial skill shortages in some fields, being also associated to an increase of thegraduate unemployment rate. This is mostly the case in those countries, where the education system is not controlled by the state and any institution can grant degrees.[citation needed] Evidence have also shown a decline in the general quality of teaching and graduate's preparation for the workplace, due to the fast-paced conversion of that technical institutions to more advanced higher level institutions.[6][7] Mentz, Kotze and Van der Merwe argue that all the tools are in place to promote the debate on the place of technology in higher education in general and in universities of technology specifically and they posit several questions for the debate.[8]
InArgentina, the main higher institution devoted to the study of technology is theNational Technological University which hasRegional Faculties throughout Argentina. TheBuenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA) andBalseiro Institute are other recognized institutes of technology.
During the 1970s to early 1990s, the term was used to describe state owned and funded technical schools that offered bothvocational and higher education. They were part of theCollege of Advanced Education system. In the 1990s most of these merged with existing universities or formed new ones of their own. These new universities often took the title University of Technology, for marketing rather than legal purposes. AVCC report The most prominent such university in each state founded theAustralian Technology Network a few years later.
Since the mid-1990s, the term has been applied to some technically mindedtechnical and further education (TAFE) institutes. A recent example is theMelbourne Polytechnic rebranding and repositioning in 2014 from Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE.[9] These primarily offervocational education, although some like Melbourne Polytechnic are expanding into higher education offering vocationally oriented applied bachelor's degrees. This usage of the term is most prevalent historically in NSW and the ACT. The new terminology is apt given that this category of institution are becoming very much like the institutes of the 1970s–1990s period.
In 2009, the old college system in Tasmania and TAFE Tasmania have started a 3-year restructure to become the Tasmanian Polytechnic www.polytechnic.tas.edu.au, Tasmanian Skills Institute www.skillsinstitute.tas.edu.au and Tasmanian Academy www.academy.tas.edu.au
In the higher education sector, there are seven designated universities of technology in Australia (though, note, not all use the phrase "university of technology", such as the Universities of Canberra and South Australia, which used to be Colleges of Advanced Education before transitioning into fully-fledged universities with the ability – most important of all – to confer doctorates):
These institutions are entitled to conferhabilitation anddoctoral degrees and focus on research.
These institutions focus only on research.
Several universities have faculties of technology that are entitled to confer habilitation and doctoral degrees and which focus on research.
Fachhochschule is a German type of tertiary education institution and adopted later in Austria and Switzerland. They do not focus exclusively on technology, but may also offer courses in social science, medicine, business and design. They grant bachelor's degrees and master's degrees and focus more on teaching than research and more on specific professions than on science.
In 2010, there were 20Fachhochschulen in Austria[10]
There are some public engineering universities and colleges inBangladesh:
There are some general, technological and specialized universities in Bangladesh offer engineering programs:
There are some private engineering universities in Bangladesh:
There is only one international engineering university in Bangladesh:
There are numerous private and other universities as well as science and technology universities providing engineering education. Most prominent are:
There are numerous government-funded as well as private polytechnic institutes, engineering colleges and science and technology institutes providing engineering education. Most prominent are:
In the Netherlands, there are four universities of technology, jointly known as 4TU:
InBelgium and in theNetherlands,Hogescholen orHautes écoles (also translated intocolleges,university colleges oruniversities of applied science) are applied institutes of higher education that do not award doctorates. They are generally limited to Bachelor-level education, with degrees called professional bachelors, and only minor Master's programmes. The hogeschool thus has many similarities to theFachhochschule in the German language areas and to theammattikorkeakoulu in Finland. A list of allhogescholen in the Netherlands, including some which might be called polytechnics, can be found at the end of thislist.
Federal:
Some CEFETs were turned into Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology.
Service academy:
Private:
State:
In Cambodia, there are institutes of technology/polytechnic institutes and Universities that offer instruction in a variety of programs that can lead to: certificates, diplomas and degrees. Institutes of technology/polytechnic institutes and universities tend to be independent institutions.
In Canada, there are affiliate schools,colleges, and institutes of technology/polytechnic institutes that offer instruction in a variety of programs that can lead to the bestowment ofapprenticeships,citations,certificates,diplomas, andassociate's degrees upon successful completion. Affiliate schools are polytechnic divisions attached to a national university and offer select technical and engineering transfer programs. Colleges, institutes of technology/polytechnic institutes, and universities tend to be independent institutions.
Credentials are typically conferred at the undergraduate level; however, university-affiliated schools like the École de technologie supérieure and the École Polytechnique de Montréal (both of which are located in Quebec), also offer graduate and postgraduate programs, in accordance with provincial higher education guidelines. Canadian higher education institutions, at all levels, undertake directed and applied research with financing allocated through public funding, private equity, or industry sources.
Some of Canada's most well-known colleges and polytechnic institutions also partake in collaborative institute-industry projects, leading to technology commercialization, made possible through the scope ofPolytechnics Canada, a national alliance of eleven leading research-intensive colleges and institutes of technology.
China's modern higher education began in 1895 with the Imperial Tientsin University which was a polytechnic plus a law department. Liberal arts were not offered until three years later at Capital University. To this day, about half of China's elite universities remain essentially polytechnical.
InCroatia there are manypolytechnic institutes and colleges that offer a polytechnic education. The law about polytechnic education in Croatia was passed in 1997.
EPN is known for research and education in the applied science,astronomy,atmospheric physics, engineering andphysical sciences. TheGeophysics Institute[11][12] monitors the country'sseismic,tectonic andvolcanic activity in the continental territory and in theGalápagos Islands.
One of the oldest observatories inSouth America is theQuito Astronomical Observatory. It was founded in 1873 and is located 12 minutes south of theEquator in Quito, Ecuador. The Quito Astronomical Observatory is the National Observatory of Ecuador and is located in the Historic Center of Quito and is managed by the National Polytechnic School.[13][14]
The Nuclear Science Department at EPN is the only one in Ecuador and has the large infrastructure, related to irradiation facilities likecobalt-60 source andelectron beam processing.
Universities of technology are categorised as universities, are allowed to grant B.Sc. (Tech.),Diplomi-insinööri M.Sc. (Tech.), Lic.Sc. (Tech.), Ph.D. and D.Sc. (Tech.) degrees and roughly correspond to Instituts de technologie of French-speaking areas and Technische Universität of Germany in prestige. In addition to universities of technology, some universities, e.g. University of Oulu and Åbo Akademi University, are allowed to grant the B.Sc. (tech.), M.Sc. (tech.) and D.Sc. (Tech.) degrees.
Universities of technology are academically similar to other (non-polytechnic) universities. Prior to Bologna process, M.Sc. (Tech.) required 180 credits, whereas M.Sc. from a normal university required 160 credits. The credits between universities of technology and normal universities are comparable.
Some Finnish universities of technology are:
Polytechnic schools are distinct from academic universities in Finland.Ammattikorkeakoulu is the common term inFinland, as is the Swedish alternative "yrkeshögskola" – their focus is on studies leading to a degree (for instanceinsinööri, engineer; in international use, Bachelor of Engineering) in kind different from but in level comparable to an academic bachelor's degree awarded by a university. Since 2006 the polytechnics have offered studies leading to master's degrees (Master of Engineering). After January 1, 2006, some Finnish ammattikorkeakoulus switched the English term "polytechnic" to the term "university of applied sciences" in the English translations of their legal names. The ammattikorkeakoulu has many similarities to thehogeschool in Belgium and in the Netherlands and to theFachhochschule in the German language areas.
Some recognized Finnish polytechnics are:
A complete list may be found inList of polytechnics in Finland.
Collegiate universities grouping several engineering schools or multi-site clusters of Frenchgrandes écoles provide sciences and technology curricula as autonomous higher education engineering institutes. They include:
They provide science and technology master's degrees and doctoral degrees.
The universities of technology (French:universités de technologie) are public institutions awarding degrees and diplomas that are accredited by theFrench Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Although called "universities", the universities of technology are in fact non-university institutes (écoles extérieures aux universités), as defined by Chapter I, Section II (Articles 34 through 36) of French law 84-52 of 26 January 1984 regarding higher education (theloi Savary).
They possess the advantage of combining all the assets of the engineeringGrandes Écoles and those of universities as they develop simultaneously and coherently three missions:Education,Research,Transfer of technology.They maintain close links with the industrial world both on national and international levels and they are reputed for their ability to innovate, adapt and provide an education that matches the ever-changing demands of industry[citation needed].
This network includes three institutions:
'Polytech institutes', embedded as a part of eleven French universities provide both undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula.
In the French-speaking part of Switzerland exists also the termhaute école specialisée for a type of institution calledFachhochschule in the German-speaking part of the country. (see below).
Higher education systems, that are influenced by the French education system set at the end of the 18th century, use a terminology derived by reference to the FrenchÉcole polytechnique. Such terms includeÉcoles Polytechniques (Algeria, Belgium, Canada, France, Switzerland, Tunisia), Escola Politécnica (Brasil, Spain), Polytechnicum (Eastern Europe).
InFrench language, higher education refers toécoles polytechniques, providing science and engineering curricula:
Fachhochschulen were first founded in the early 1970s. They do not focus exclusively on technology, but may also offer courses in social science, business and design. They grant bachelor's degrees and master's degrees and focus more on teaching than research and more on specific professions than on science.
In 2009/10, there existed about 200Fachhochschulen in Germany.[15] See theGerman Wikipedia for a list.
Technische Universität (abbreviation:TU) is the common term for universities of technology. These institutions can grant habilitation and doctoral degrees and focus on research.
The nine largest and most renownedTechnische Universitäten in Germany have formedTU9 German Institutes of Technology as community of interests. Technische Universitäten normally have faculties or departements of natural sciences and often of economics but can also have units of cultural and social sciences and arts. RWTH Aachen, TU Dresden and TU München also have a faculty of medicine associated withuniversity hospitals (Klinikum Aachen, University Hospital Dresden,Rechts der Isar Hospital).
There are 20 universities of technology in Germany with about 290,000 students enrolled. The three states ofBremen,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern andSchleswig-Holstein do not have aTechnische Universität.Saxony andLower Saxony have the highest counts ofTUs, while in Saxony three out of four universities are universities of technology. In addition to this, ordinary universities can also offer technical degree programs or focus on technical disciplines in research and education without bearing the title of a technical university.
Greece hasTechnical Universities (also known as Polytechnic Universities) with 5 years of study legally equivalent to Bachelor's and master's degree 300 ECTS, ISCED 7 and has the full professional rights of the Engineer. and hadTechnological Educational Institutes (TEIs) (1982–2019) also known as Higher Educational Institute of Technology, Technological Institute, Institute of Technology (provides at least 4-year undergraduate degree qualification πτυχίο, Latinised version: Ptychion, in line with theBologna Process legally equivalent to Bachelor's honours degree 240 ECTS, ISCED 6. Previously it was three and a half years studies from 1983 to 1995, 210 ECTS). All the Technical Universities and Technological Educational Institutes areHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) with university title (UT) and degree awarding powers (DAPs). TEIs existed from 1983 to 2019; they were reformed between 2013 and 2019 and their departments incorporated into existing higher education institutions (HEIs).
The two Polytechnic Universities (Technical Universities) in Greece (Greek: Πολυτεχνείο) are theNational Technical University of Athens and theTechnical University of Crete.[16] However, many other universities have a faculty of engineering that provides an equivalent diploma of engineerings with an integrated master and the full professional rights as well.
Many TEIs that got dismantled created engineering faculty with 5 years of study and 300 ECTS, ISCED 6. But those faculty are not under the general term of Polytechnics nor they have an integrated master's degree yet waiting evaluation[17] to be characterised as equivalent. These have been named School of Engineers for the time being and not Technical Universities or Polytechnic.[18]
In Greece, all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) arepublic university owned and government-funded, withfree education undergraduate programmes that can be attended without any payment of tuition fee. About 1 out of 4 (one-fourth of) HEIs postgraduate programmes are offered free without any payment of tuition fee, especially about a 30% percentage of students can be entitled without tuition fee to attend all the HEIs statutory tuition fee postgraduate programmes after they be assessed on an individual basis of determined criteria as set out in the Ministry of Education.
The first polytechnic inHong Kong is The Hong Kong Polytechnic, established in 1972 through upgrading the Hong Kong Technical College (Government Trade School before 1947). The second polytechnic, the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, was founded in 1984. These polytechnics awardsdiplomas,higher diplomas, as well as academic degrees. Like theUnited Kingdom, the two polytechnics were granted university status in 1994 and renamedThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University and theCity University of Hong Kong respectively.The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a university with a focus in applied science, engineering and business, was founded in 1991.
The world's first[19][20] Institute of Technology the Berg-Schola (Bergschule) established inSelmecbánya,Kingdom of Hungary, by the Court Chamber of Vienna in 1735 providingFurther education to train specialists of precious metal and copper mining. In 1762 the institute ranked up to beAcademia[21][22] providingHigher Education courses. After theTreaty of Trianon the institute had to be moved toSopron.[23]
There areIndian Institutes of Technology,Indian Institutes of Information Technology, andNational Institutes of Technology in India which are autonomous public institutions. These institutions areInstitutes of National Importance, and hence each of the institutions are autonomous. All Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, and National Institutes of Technology have their own councils which are headed byPresident of India. The activities of these institutions are generally governed by the institutes alone, but sometimes they are bound to follow the directives ofMinistry of Education (India) and are answerable to Ministry of Education (India) and President of India. Some departments of some of these institutions are bound to follow certain guidelines ofNational Board of Accreditation (NBA) if they receive the accreditation from NBA. However, unlike other institutions, it is not mandatory for these institutes to follow guidelines ofAll India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and NBA completely.
The authority controlling technical education, other than theInstitutes of National Importance, in India is All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA).[29][30]
There are four public institutes of technology in Indonesia that are owned by the government of Indonesia. Other than that, there are hundreds of other institutes that are owned by private or other institutions.
Four public institutes are:
Public state-owned polytechnics also available and provides vocational education offers either three-year Diploma degrees, which is similar to an associate degree or four-year bachelor's degree in applied sciences (Indonesian:Sarjana Terapan). The more advanced vocational Master's are also available and doctoral degrees are still in progress.
Some notable polytechnics in Indonesia includesState Polytechnic of Jakarta,State Polytechnic of Bandung,State Polytechnic of Malang,State Electronics Polytechnic of Surabaya, andState Naval and Shipbuilding Polytechnic of Surabaya. These polytechnics are known to be departed from Indonesian prestigious universities and institute of technologies, e.g. the State Polytechnic of Jakarta was departed from theUniversity of Indonesia while both Surabaya Polytechnics were departed from Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology.
There are 18 technological universities inIran.
An "Institute of Technology" was formerly referred to as Regional Technical College (RTCs) system. The abbreviationIT is now widely used to refer to an Institute of Technology. These institutions offer sub-degree, degree and masters level studies. Unlike the Irish university system an Institute of Technology also offers sub-degree programmes such as 2-yearHigher Certificate programme in various academic fields of study. Some institutions have "delegated authority" that allows them to make doctoral awards in their own name, after authorisation by theQuality and Qualifications Ireland.
Dublin Institute of Technology developed separately from the Regional Technical College system and after several decades of association with theUniversity of Dublin it acquired the authority to confer its own degrees before becoming a member ofTU Dublin.
The approval of Ireland's firstTechnological University,TU Dublin was announced in July 2018[31][32] and the new university established on 01 January 2019.[33] It is the result of a merger of three of the ITs in theCounty Dublin area - Dublin Institute of Technology, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown.[31][32] Several Technological Universities have since been set up in the country.Munster TU was established 01 January 2021 through a merger of Cork IT and IT Tralee (Kerry).[34] TheTechnological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest was the third such university, established in October 2021 out of Limerick IT and Athlone IT.[35] TheAtlantic Technological University was formally established on 01 April 2022 out of Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo, and Letterkenny IT.[36] As a fifth such institution, theSouth East Technological University was established on 01 May 2022 out of Carlow IT and Waterford IT.[37] As of May 2023, the only remaining Institutes of Technology in Ireland areDundalk IT and theDun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.[38]
The Technological Higher Education Association is the representative body for the various Institutes of Technology in Ireland.[39]
InItaly, the term "technical institute" generally refers to asecondary school which offers a five-year course granting the access to the university system.[40]
Inhigher education,Politecnico refers to a technical university awarding bachelor, master and PhD degrees in engineering. Historically there were twoPolitecnici, one in each of the two largest industrial cities of the north:
A thirdPolitecnico was added in the south in 1990:
In 2003 the Libera Università di Ancona becomes:
However, many other universities have a faculty of engineering.
In 2003, theMinistry of Education, Universities and Research (Italy) and theMinistry of Economy and Finance (Italy) jointly established theIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology), headquartered inGenoa with 10 laboratories around Italy, which however focuses on research, not entirely in the fields of engineering and does not offer undergraduate degrees.
In Japan, an institute of technology (工業大学,kōgyō daigaku) is a type of university that specializes in the sciences. See also theImperial College of Engineering, which was the forerunner of theUniversity of Tokyo's engineering faculty.
In Kenya, Technical Universities are special Universities that focus on technical and engineering courses and offer certifications in the same from Artisan, Craft, Diploma, Higher Diploma, Degree, Masters and Doctorate levels. They are former national polytechnics and are the only institutions of learning that offer the complete spectrum of tertiary education programs.They Include
The first polytechnic inMacau is the Polytechnic Institute of theUniversity of East Asia which was established in 1981, as an institute of a private university. In 1991, following the splitting of the University of East Asia into three (University of Macau,Macao Polytechnic Institute,Asia International Open University), a public and independent Polytechnic Institute, Macao Polytechnic Institute, was officially established. The first private technology universityMacau University of Science and Technology is established in 2000. Macao Polytechnic Institute has renamedMacao Polytechnic University in 2022.
Polytechnics inMalaysia have been in operation since 1969. These institutions offer courses at the special skills certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, and undergraduate levels. The first polytechnic in Malaysia, Politeknik Ungku Omar, was established by the Ministry of Education in 1969 with the help ofUNESCO and the amount of RM24.5 million[vague] from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
At present[when?], Malaysia has 36 polytechnics all over the country offering courses in fields such as engineering, agriculture, commerce, hospitality and design.
The following is a list of the polytechnics in Malaysia in order of establishment:
| No. | Official name inMalay | Acronym | Foundation | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Politeknik Ungku Omar | PUO | 1969 | Premier Polytechnic (University Status) | Ipoh,Perak |
| 2 | Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah | POLISAS | 1976 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kuantan,Pahang |
| 3 | Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah | POLIMAS | 1984 | Conventional Polytechnic | Jitra,Kedah |
| 4 | Politeknik Kota Bharu | PKB | 1985 | Conventional Polytechnic | Ketereh,Kelantan |
| 5 | Politeknik Kuching | PKS | 1987 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kuching,Sarawak |
| 6 | Politeknik Port Dickson | PPD | 1990 | Conventional Polytechnic | Si Rusa,Negeri Sembilan |
| 7 | Politeknik Kota Kinabalu | PKK | 1996 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kota Kinabalu,Sabah |
| 8 | Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah | PSA | 1997 | Premier Polytechnic (University Status) | Shah Alam,Selangor |
| 9 | Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan | PIS | 1998 | Premier Polytechnic (University Status) | Pasir Gudang,Johor |
| 10 | Politeknik Seberang Perai | PSP | 1998 | Conventional Polytechnic | Permatang Pauh,Pulau Pinang |
| 11 | Politeknik Melaka | PMK | 1999 | Conventional Polytechnic | Melaka |
| 12 | Politeknik Kuala Terengganu | PKKT | 1999 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kuala Terengganu,Terengganu |
| 13 | Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin | PSMZA | 2001 | Conventional Polytechnic | Dungun,Terengganu |
| 14 | Politeknik Merlimau | PMM | 2002 | Conventional Polytechnic | Merlimau,Melaka |
| 15 | Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah | PSAS | 2002 | Conventional Polytechnic | Behrang,Perak |
| 16 | Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah | PTSB | 2002 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kulim,Kedah |
| 17 | Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah | PSIS | 2003 | Conventional Polytechnic | Sungai Air Tawar,Selangor |
| 18 | Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin | PTSS | 2003 | Conventional Polytechnic | Arau,Perlis |
| 19 | Politeknik Muadzam Shah | PMS | 2003 | Conventional Polytechnic | Muadzam Shah,Pahang |
| 20 | Politeknik Mukah | PMU | 2004 | Conventional Polytechnic | Mukah,Sarawak |
| 21 | Politeknik Balik Pulau | PBU | 2007 | Conventional Polytechnic | Balik Pulau,Pulau Pinang |
| 22 | Politeknik Jeli | PJK | 2007 | Conventional Polytechnic | Jeli,Kelantan |
| 23 | Politeknik Nilai | PNS | 2007 | Conventional Polytechnic | Nilai,Negeri Sembilan |
| 24 | Politeknik Banting | PBS | 2007 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kuala Langat,Selangor |
| 25 | Politeknik Mersing | PMJ | 2008 | Conventional Polytechnic | Mersing,Johor |
| 26 | Politeknik Hulu Terengganu | PHT | 2008 | Conventional Polytechnic | Kuala Berang,Terengganu |
| 27 | Politeknik Sandakan | PSS | 2009 | Conventional Polytechnic | Sandakan,Sabah |
| 28 | Politeknik METrO Kuala Lumpur | PMKL | 2011 | METrO Polytechnic | Kuala Lumpur |
| 29 | Politeknik METrO Kuantan | PMKU | 2011 | METrO Polytechnic | Kuantan,Pahang |
| 30 | Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru | PMJB | 2011 | METrO Polytechnic | Johor Bahru,Johor |
| 31 | Politeknik METrO Betong | PMBS | 2012 | METrO Polytechnic | Betong,Sarawak |
| 32 | Politeknik METrO Tasek Gelugor | PMTG | 2012 | METrO Polytechnic | George Town,Pulau Pinang |
| 33 | Politeknik Tun Syed Nasir | PTSN | 2014 | Conventional Polytechnic | Muar,Johor |
| 34 | Politeknik Besut | PoliBesut | 2014 | Conventional Polytechnic | Besut,Terengganu |
| 35 | Politeknik Bagan Datuk | PBD | 2017 | Conventional Polytechnic | Bagan Datuk,Perak |
| 36 | Politeknik Tawau | PTS | 2017 | Conventional Polytechnic | Tawau,Sabah |
There are four technical universities in Malaysia, all of which are part of theMalaysian Technical University Network:
The only technical university inMauritius is theUniversity of Technology, Mauritius with its main campus situated in La Tour Koenig, Pointe aux Sables.
In Mexico there are different Institutes and Colleges of Technology. Most of them are public institutions.
TheNational Technological Institute of Mexico (in Spanish:Tecnológico Nacional de México, TecNM) is a Mexican publicuniversity system created on 23 July 2014 by presidential decree with the purpose to unify 263 public institutes of technology that had been created since 1948 and are found all around Mexico.
Another important institute of technology in Mexico is theNational Polytechnic Institute (Instituto Politécnico Nacional), which is located in the northern region of Mexico City.
New Zealand polytechnics are established under the Education Act 1989 as amended and are typically considered state-owned tertiary institutions along withuniversities, colleges of education andwānanga; there is today often much crossover in courses and qualifications offered between all these types ofTertiary Education Institutions. Some have officially taken the title 'institute of technology' which is a term recognized in government strategies equal to that of the term 'polytechnic'. One has opted for the name 'Universal College of Learning' (UCOL) and another 'Unitec New Zealand'. These are legal names but not recognized terms like 'polytechnic' or 'institute of technology'. Many if not all now grant at least bachelor-level degrees. Some colleges of education or institutes of technology are privately owned, however, the qualification levels vary widely.
Since the 1990s, there has been consolidation in New Zealand's state-owned tertiary education system. In the polytechnic sector: Wellington Polytechnic amalgamated withMassey University. The Central Institute of Technology explored a merger with theWaikato Institute of Technology, which was abandoned, but later, after financial concerns, controversially amalgamated with Hutt Valley Polytechnic, which in turn becameWellington Institute of Technology. Some smaller polytechnics in theNorth Island, such as Waiarapa Polytechnic, amalgamated withUCOL. (The only other amalgamations have been in the colleges of education.)
TheAuckland University of Technology is the only polytechnic to have been elevated touniversity status; whileUnitec has had repeated attempts blocked by government policy and consequent decisions; Unitec has not been able to convince the courts to overturn these decisions.
In mid-February 2019, theMinister of Education MinisterChris Hipkins proposed merging the country's sixteen polytechnics into a "NZ Institute of Skills and Technology" in response to deficits and a decline in domestic enrollments. This was commenced with branding changes to 20 establishments in 2022 in preparation of their merger intoTe Pūkenga[41]
Virtually, every state inNigeria has a polytechnic university operated by either the federal or state government. InRivers State for example, there are two state-owned polytechnic universities;Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic,Bori City and theRivers State College of Arts and Science,Port Harcourt. The former was established on 13 May 1988 while the latter–though founded in 1984–was approved by theNBTE in 2006. The first private polytechnic university in the state is theEastern Polytechnic, established in 2008.
The polytechnic institutes inPakistan offerDiploma in Engineering spanning three years in different engineering branches. This diploma is known asDiploma of Associate Engineering (DAE). Students are admitted to the diploma program based on their results in the10th grade standardized exams. The main purpose of the diploma offered in polytechnic institutes is to train people in various trades.
These institutes are located throughout Pakistan and started in the early 1950s.
After successfully completion of diploma at a polytechnic, students can either get employment or enroll inBachelor of Technology (B.Tech) andBachelor of Engineering (BE) degree programs.
Universities of Engineering & Technology in Pakistan offerundergraduate (BE/BS/BSc Engineering) andpostgraduate (ME/MS/MSc Engineering andPhD) degree programs inengineering.BE/BS/BSc Engineering is aprofessional degree in Pakistan. It is a four-year full-time program afterHSSC (higher secondary school certificate).
University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) is a technical college in Gaza founded in 1998. The College offers undergraduate degrees in several unique specializations such as education technology, technological management and planning, and geographic information systems
Politechnika (translated as a "technical university" or "university of technology") is the designation of a technical university in Poland. Here are some of the larger polytechnics in Poland:
Other polytechnic universities:
Till recently, there was a Technical University of Lisbon (UTL). It included several of the most prestigious schools, including, an engineering school (Instituto Superior Tecnico) and one of the most ancient business schools in the world (ISEG Lisbon). But UTL merged with the University of Lisbon. In this field, here are also a number of non-universityhigher educational institutions which are calledpolytechnic institutes since the 1970s. Some of these institutions existed since the 19th century with different designations (industrial and commercial institutes, agricultural managers, elementary teachers and nurses schools, etc.). In theory, the polytechnics higher education system is aimed to provide a more practical training and be profession-oriented, while the university higher education system is aimed to have a stronger theoretical basis and be highly research-oriented. The polytechnics are also oriented to provide shorter length studies aimed to respond to local needs. The Portuguese polytechnics can then be compared to the UScommunity colleges.
Since the implementation ofBologna Process in Portugal in 2007, the polytechnics offer the 1st cycle (licentiate degree) and 2nd cycle (master's degree) of higher studies. Until 1998, the polytechnics only awarded bachelor (Portuguese:bacharelato) degrees (three-year short-cycle degrees) and were not authorized to award higher degrees. They however granted post-bachelor diplomas in specialized higher studies (DESE,diploma de estudos superiores especializados), that could be obtained after the conclusion of a two-year second cycle of studies and were academical equivalent to the university'slicentiate degrees (licenciatura). After 1998, they started to be allowed to confer their own licentiate degrees, which replaced the DESE diplomas.
Polytechnics in Singapore do not offer bachelor's, master's degrees or doctorate. However, Polytechnics in Singapore offer three-year diploma courses in fields ranging from applied sciences to business, information technology, humanities, social sciences, and other vocational fields such as engineering and nursing. There are five polytechnics in Singapore:Singapore Polytechnic,Ngee Ann Polytechnic,Temasek Polytechnic,Nanyang Polytechnic andRepublic Polytechnic.
The Polytechnic diploma certification in Singapore is equivalent to anassociate degree obtainable at thecommunity colleges in the United States. A Polytechnic diploma in Singapore is also known to be parallel and sometimes equivalent to the first years at a bachelor's degree-granting institution, thus, Polytechnic graduates in Singapore have the privilege of being granted transfer credits or module exemptions when they apply to a local or overseas universities, depending on the university's policies on transfer credits.
The only university in Singapore with the term "institute of technology", most notably theSingapore Institute of Technology were developed in 2009 as an option for Polytechnic graduates who desire to pursue a bachelor's degree. Other technological universities in Singapore includes theNanyang Technological University and theSingapore University of Technology and Design.
The world's first institution of technology or technical university with tertiary technical education is theBanská Akadémia inBanská Štiavnica, Slovakia,[20] founded in 1735, Academy since December 13, 1762 established by queenMaria Theresa in order to train specialists of silver and gold mining and metallurgy in neighbourhood. Teaching started in 1764. Later the department of Mathematics, Mechanics and Hydraulics and department of Forestry were settled. University buildings are still at their place today and are used for teaching. University has launched the first book ofelectrotechnics in the world.
InSouth Africa, there was a division between universities andtechnikons (polytechnics), as well between institutions servicing particular racial and language groupings.
By the mid-2000s, former technikons have either been merged with traditional universities to form comprehensive universities or have become universities of technology; however, the universities of technology have not to date acquired all of the traditional rights and privileges of a university (such as the ability to confer a wide range of degrees).[42]
The question of Taiwanese college education is, the students either from high school (the aims is to go to normal college) or tech high school(the aims is to go to work or technology university), almost all of the students take the same test(the score can go to two kinds of school), and the school would not care what kind of high school you are from.
Most of Thailand's institutes of technology were developed fromtechnical colleges, in the past could not grant bachelor's degrees; today, however, they areuniversity level institutions, some of which can grant degrees to thedoctoral level. Examples arePathumwan Institute of Technology (developed from Pathumwan Technical School),King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (Nondhaburi Telecommunications Training Centre) andKing Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok (Thai-German Technical School).
There are two former institutes of technology, which already changed their name to "University of Technology":Rajamangala University of Technology (formerly Institute of Technology and Vocational Education) andKing Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (Thonburi Technology Institute).
Institutes of technology with different origins areAsian Institute of Technology, which developed fromSEATO Graduate School of Engineering andSirindhorn International Institute of Technology, an engineering school ofThammasat University.Suranaree University of Technology is the only government-owned technological university in Thailand that was established (1989) as such; whileMahanakorn University of Technology is the most well known private technological institute.
A certain number of technical colleges in Thailand is associated with bitter rivalries which erupts into frequent off-campus brawls and assassinations of students in public locations that has been going on for nearly a decade, with innocent bystanders also commonly among the injured[43] and the military undermartial law still unable to stop them from occurring.[44]
InTurkey, with historical roots extending back to theOttoman Empire,Istanbul Technical University is recognized as the oldest technical university, established in 1773. Notably,Karadeniz Technical University inTrabzon was established in 1955.Middle East Technical University inAnkara followed closely, founded in 1956.[45] More recent developments include the transformation of Yıldız University intoYıldız Technical University, along with the establishment ofGebze Technical University inKocaeli, andİzmir Institute of Technology inİzmir. Additionally, the technical education landscape broadened with the founding ofBursa Technical University inBursa in 2010.
| Name | City | Foundation | Students | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul Technical University (ITU) | Istanbul | 1773 | 21000 | Ranked 108th in the THES QS University ranking for technology fields. |
| Yıldız Technical University (YTU) | Istanbul | 1911 | 21000 | |
| Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) | Trabzon | 1955 | The first technical university established in Turkey outside of Istanbul. | |
| Middle East Technical University (METU) | Ankara | 1956 | 25089 | METU is the first and only Turkish university to enter the Times Higher Education'sTHE World Reputation Rankings, ranking within the 51-60 band.[46] Nationally, in the 2025 rankings, it was ranked first according to bothTHE andQS.[47][48] |
| Gebze Technical University (GTU) | Kocaeli | 1992 | ||
| İzmir Institute of Technology (IYTE) | İzmir | 1992 | ||
| Bursa Technical University (BTU) | Bursa | 2010 | ||
| Erzurum Technical University (ETU) | Erzurum | 2010 | ||
| Adana Science and Technology University (ABTU) | Adana | 2011 | ||
| Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE) | Hatay | 2015 | ||
| OSTIM Technical University | Ankara | 2017 | It is the first and only private technical university in Turkey. | |
| Konya Technical University (KTUN) | Konya | 2018 | ||
| Eskişehir Technical University (ESTU) | Eskişehir | 2018 | 12000+ |
Institutes of Technology
The UK Government defines institutes of technology as "Business-led Institutes of Technology [that] offer higher level technical education to help close skills gaps in key STEM areas".[49] They deliver qualifications from level 3 (T-levels) to level 7 (master's degrees). The government invested £300 million to develop a network of 21 institutes of technology across England, with the last two having opened to learners in September 2024.[50][51]
Polytechnics
Polytechnics weretertiary education teaching institutions inEngland,Wales andNorthern Ireland. The comparable institutions inScotland were collectively referred to ascentral institutions.
From 1965 to 1992, UK polytechnics operated under thebinary system of education along with universities. Polytechnics offered diplomas and degrees (bachelor's, master's, PhD) validated at the national level by theCouncil for National Academic Awards (CNAA). Initially they concentrated on engineering and applied science degree courses and otherSTEM subjects similar to technological universities in the US and continental Europe. Polytechnics were associated with innovations includingwomen's studies, the academic study ofcommunications andmedia,sandwich degrees and the rise of management andbusiness studies.
Britain's first polytechnic, theRoyal Polytechnic Institution later known as thePolytechnic of Central London (now theUniversity of Westminster) was established in 1838 at Regent Street in London and its goal was to educate and popularize engineering and scientific knowledge and inventions in Victorian Britain "at little expense". The London Polytechnic led a mass movement to create numerous polytechnic institutes across the UK in the late 19th century. Most polytechnic institutes were established at the center of major metropolitan cities and their focus was on engineering, applied science and technology education.
The designation "institute of technology" was occasionally used by polytechnics (Bolton),Central Institutions (Dundee, Robert Gordon's) and for the Cranfield Institute of Technology (nowCranfield University), most of which later adopted the designation university and there were two "institutes of science and technology":UMIST andUWIST (part of theUniversity of Wales).Loughborough University was called Loughborough University of Technology from 1966 to 1996, the only institution in the UK to have had such a designation. TheUniversity of Strathclyde was the Royal Technical College from 1912 to 1956 and then the Royal College of Science and Technology from 1956 until granted university status in 1964.
Polytechnics were granted university status under theFurther and Higher Education Act 1992. This meant that polytechnics could confer degrees without the oversight of the national CNAA organization. These institutions are sometimes referred to aspost-1992 universities.
Technical colleges
In 1956, some colleges of technology received the designationcollege of advanced technology. They became universities in 1966 meaning they could award their own degrees.
Institutions called "technical institutes" or "technical schools" that were formed in the early 20th century provided further education between high school and university or polytechnic. Most technical institutes have been merged into regional colleges and some have been designated university colleges if they are associated with a local university.
Polytechnic institutes in the USA are technological universities, many dating back to the mid-19th century. A handful of American universities include the phrases "Institute of Technology", "Polytechnic Institute", "Polytechnic University" or similar phrasing in their names; these are generallyresearch-intensive universities with a focus on engineering, science and technology. Conversely, schools dubbed "technical colleges" or "technical institutes" generally provide post-secondary training in technical and mechanical fields, focusing on training vocational skills primarily at acommunity college level, parallel and sometimes equivalent to the first two years at a bachelor's degree-granting institution.
Some of America's earliest institutes of technology includeRensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1824),Rochester Institute of Technology (1829),Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (1854),Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1861), andWorcester Polytechnic Institute (1865).
Institutes of technology in Venezuela were developed in the 1950s as an option for post-secondary education in technical and scientific courses, after thepolytechnic French concepts. At that time, technical education was considered essential for the development of a soundmiddle class economy.
Nowadays, most of theInstitutos de Tecnología are privately run businesses, with varying degrees of quality.
Most of these institutes award diplomas after three or three and a half years of education. The institute of technology implementation (IUT, fromSpanish:Instituto universitario de tecnologia) began with the creation of the first IUT at Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, called IUT. Dr. Federico Rivero Palacio adopted the French "Institut Universitaire de Technologie"s system, using French personnel and study system based on three-year periods, with research and engineering facilities at the same level as the main national universities to obtain French equivalent degrees. This IUT is the first and only one in Venezuela having French equivalent degrees accepted, implementing this system and observing the high-level degrees some other IUTs were created in Venezuela, regardless of this the term IUT was not used appropriately resulting in some institutions with mediocre quality and no equivalent degree in France. Later, some private institutions sprang up using IUT in their names, but they are not regulated by the original French system and award lower quality degrees.
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