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An institute of technology or a polytechnic is a vocational higher educational institution that specialises in technical education. The term polytechnic comes from the Greek πολύ polú meaning "many" and τεχνικός tekhnikós meaning "arts". A range of terms is used around the globe.
Polytechnics, in name, have existed since at least the 18th century but became increasingly popular the post-WWII with the expansion of technical education. In some cases, polytechnics or institutes of technology are engineering schools or technical colleges. More rarely, both polytechnics (as the Polytechnic Universities) and institutes of technology (as MIT and ETH Zurich) are considered universities when they have autonomy to offer Masters and Doctoral degrees and they are at the same time independent research institutions, being these conditions necessary to be formally considered a University.
The term institute of technology is used in many countries rather than polytechnic, and indeed in these countries the latter term may never have been common (the opposite is also true). For example in Canada the British Columbia Institute of Technology is one such institution, and École de technologie supérieure. Indian Institutes of Technology is used in India to denote a number of specific institutes which were based on a post WWII recommendation for industrialisation. In Ireland the term Institute of Technology is more favored now to the term Regional Technical College though the latter is the legally correct term; Dublin Institute of Technology is a institute which is a university in all but name as it can confer degrees in accordance with law. The Federal Institute of Technology located in Zurich, Switzerland and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA are possibly some of the oldest institutions to use "institute of technology" in its title and being actually universities.
Although being today generally considered similiar 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 a former designation for a vocational institution, before it granted the right to award academic degrees and can be truly called an Institute of Technology.
Polytechnic type institutions survive in many other countries, there is often not the same distinction between polytechnics and universities that was seen in Britain, some are often seen today as being quite similar in terms of standards.
Australia
See the articles on Education in Australia and Technical and Further Education (TAFE), Category:Australian tertiary institutions and College of advanced education
In Australia the "Institutes of Technology" became founding members of the Australian Technology Network of universities. The Institute of Technology title has since been appropriated by a number of TAFE institutes.
1970s-1990s
During the 1970s to early 1990s, the term was used to describe state owned and funded technical schools that offered both vocational and higher education. They were part of the College of Advanced Education system. In the 1990s most of these merged with existing universities, or formed new ones of their own. These new universities generally took the title University of Technology, for marketing rather than legal purposes. AVCC report.
1990s-Today
Since the mid 1990s, the term has been applied to some technically minded Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. These offer vocational education, although some are beginning to offer higher education. This usuage of the term is most prevalent in NSW and the ACT. This usage is not widely known in Australia outside these areas, and in such places the older meaning is much more likely to be understood.
Belgium and the Netherlands
Hogeschool is used in Belgium and in the Netherlands.
Canada
Finland - Ammattikorkeakoulu
An Ammattikorkeakoulu is the common term in Finland, as is the Swedish alternative "Yrkeshögskola" – their focus is on bachelor degree level studies, particularly in technology.
French language areas - Écoles Polytechnique
In the French areas like France, Canada and Switzerland, a Polytechnic is an école polytechnique:
- France has some polytechnic type (also Écoles Supérieures, Écoles Nationales...) higher education establishments which belong to a group of renowned and specialized institutions called Grandes écoles.
German language areas - Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule and Technische Hochschule are the common terms in a number of countries with German influences, these are Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland - the term Fachhochschule is often translated as "University of Applied Sciences" to resect their role. Polytechnic type institutions are widespread in this part of Europe. For example, Germany has 159 Fachhochschule-institutions.
India
India has a "Institute of Technology" system referred to as Indian Institutes of Technology. These institutions specialise in science and technology. There are currently seven such institutions.
Also India offers students apply to for either a polytechnic or a Junior College after 10 standard. Polytechnics offer three year diploma courses in subjects such as information technology, engineering subjects and other vocational fields. Junior Colleges, on the other hand, offer two year courses in more traditional subjects such as English, History, the pure sciences and others after which students take their 'A'-levels, a university entrance examination.
Ireland
The Republic of Ireland has an "Institute of Technology" system, formerly referred to as Regional Technical College (RTCs) system - the latter term is still the correct legal term for the colleges when used generically or collectively. These institutions have a similar number of students attending as at Irish universities, and offer subdegree and degree level studies. Some institutions have "delegated authority" that allows them to make awards in their own name, after authorisation by the Higher Education & Training Awards Council.
Dublin Institute of Technology developed separately from the Regional Technical College system, and after several decades of association with the University of Dublin, Trinity College it aquired the authority to confer its own degrees.
Italy
Politecnico is the common term used in Italy:
Hong Kong
The first polytechnic in Hong Kong is The Hong Kong Polytechnic, established in 1972 through upgrading the Hong Kong Technical College (Government Trade School before 1947). A second polytechnic, the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, was founded in 1984. These polytechnics awards diplomas, higher diplomas, as well as academic degrees. Like the United Kingdom, the two polytechnics were granted university status in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and renamed The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the City University of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, a university with a focus in applied science, engineering and business, was founded in 1991.
See also: Education in Hong Kong, List of universities in Hong Kong.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, polytechnic does not have the power to confer degree or anything higher.
See also: Education in Malaysia.
New Zealand
New Zealand polytechnics are established under the Education Act 1989 as amended, and are considered state-owned tertiary institutions along with universities, colleges of education, and wānanga; there is today often much crossover in courses and qualifications offered between all these types of institutions. Some have officially taken the title 'institute of technology', while one has opted for 'University College of Learning' (UCOL), and another 'Unitec New Zealand' instead. Many if not all now issue at least bachelor-level degrees.
Since the 1990s, there has been consolidation in New Zealand's state-owned tertiary education system. In the polytechnic sector: Wellington Polytechnic amalgamated with Massey University. The Central Institute of Technology explored a merger with the Waikato Institute of Technology, which was abandoned, but later, after financial concerns, controversially amalgamated with Hutt Valley Polytechnic, which in turn became Wellington Institute of Technology. Some smaller polytechnics in the North Island, such as Waiarapa Polytechnic, amalgamated with UCOL. (The only other amalgamations have been in the colleges of education.)
The Auckland Institute of Technology is the only university to have been elevated to university status; while Unitec has had repeated attempts blocked.
See also: List of polytechnics and institutes of technology in New Zealand and Education in New Zealand
Portugal
There are fifteen state-run polytechnics in Portugal and also some private polytechnical institutions. The Polytechnical Institutes (Institutos Politécnicos) of Portugal are not universities. They do not have autonomy to offer Masters nor Doctoral degrees and they are not research institutions, which are by definition conditions to be considered formally a University. They were created since the 1980s and have suffered many reforms and transformations since then, being a subsystem of the Portuguese Higher Education System (composed of universities, polytechnics and some other types of higher education schools).
The term Institute of Technology is not applied at all, only "Polytechnical Institute/Polytechnic" (Instituto Politécnico/Politécnico).
See also: list of colleges and universities in Portugal and Education in Portugal
Singapore
Singapore retains a system very similar to the British system distinguishing strictly between polytechnics and universities. Under this system, all Singaporean students sit for their 'O'-levels after four/five years of secondary school. They then apply for a place at either a polytechnic or a Junior College. Polytechnics offer three year diploma courses in subjects such as information technology, engineering subjects and other vocational fields. Junior Colleges, on the other hand, offer two year courses in more traditional subjects such as English, History, the pure sciences and others after which students take their 'A'-levels, a university entrance examination.
See also: Education in Singapore
United Kingdom
Polytechnics were tertiary education teaching institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The comparable institutions in Scotland were collectively referred to as Central Institutions. Like other polytechnics, their aim was to teach practical subjects rather than academic. Under the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992 they became fully fledged universities.
Academic degrees in polytechnics were validated by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) from 1965 to 1992. After this time, the new universities awarded their own degrees. Sub-degree courses at these institutions were validated by the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC), and many of them contiue to offer BTEC qualifications.
Many polytechnics were formed in the expansion of higher education in the 1960s, others can trace their history back much further than this. One of the most famous polytechnics was the London Polytechnic, which was originally founded in the 19th century. Ulster Polytechnic remains the only polytechnic to unite with a university, a trans-binary merger; this occurred in 1984.
Historically, British polytechnics were seen as ranking below universities in the provision of higher education, due to their lack of degree-awarding powers and the fact that they concentrated on vocational rather than academic courses. Even since 1992 differences still remain between the former polytechnics (and other post-1992 universities) and the older universities in terms of pay, conditions for staff, public perception and research budgets.
Although many of the former polytechnics remain at the bottom of the University League Tables, some former polytechnics have steadily moved up, and can now be found in the top half of the tables of all universities. Examples include Middlesex University (ranked 19th in the Guardian league table) and Oxford Brookes University (ranked 26th of 119 entries). [1] Former polytechnics also perform particularly well in vocational subjects. For example, Nottingham Trent University is home to one of the best postgraduate law schools in the UK, and has a strong reputation in primary education.
See also: British universities
United States
Roger's Hall - is the main building of the Polytechnic University, in Brooklyn, NY.
The United States has several institutions called "Institute of Technology", "Polytechnic Institue", "Polytechnic University", etc. They are research intensive universities with a focus on science and technology. They are generally seen as elite universities.
Universities using the terms "institute of technology" or "polytechnic"
Their are also many universities that use the terms "institute of technology" or "polytechnic" for historic reasons:
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, California, USA
- California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech), USA
- Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey
- Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
- Polytechnic University of New York, USA
- Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
- Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), New York, USA
- Universitatea Politehnica Bucureşti, Romania
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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