The University of Madeira (''UMa''; , ) is a Portuguese

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

, created in 1988 in

Funchal Funchal () officially Funchal City (), is the capital, largest city and a Municipality (Portugal), municipality in Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it ...

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

. The university offers first, second cycle and Doctorate

academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...

s in a wide range of fields, in accordance with the

Bologna process file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...

. It is now under the CMU/Portugal agreement with

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

, having master programme in

Computer Engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...

Human Computer Interaction Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are great apes characterized by their hairlessness, bipedalism, and high intelligen ...

and

Entertainment Technology Entertainment technology is the discipline of using manufactured or created components to enhance or make possible any sort of entertainment experience. Because entertainment categories are so broad, and because entertainment models the world in ...

. Students admitted will be eligible for scholarships and have internship opportunity during the summer break. In addition,

Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute The Interactive Technologies Institute (formerly known as M-ITI, Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute) is a teaching and research institute of the Instituto Superior Técnico, which has its headquartered located in Lisbon, Portugal. Hist ...

, founded in January 2010, is devoted to building international partnership with other educational institutes and industry.

History

The university's campus dates back to a 16th-century Jesuit college. Its first higher education institution, a medical school, was founded in Funchal in the 18th century. In 1978, the University of Lisbon established a satellite campus in Madeira, and from 1983 to 1986, today's campus began taking shape, offering courses in the areas of science and technology, arts, humanities, and social sciences. In 1985, the campus integrated a polytechnic school of nursing (Escola Superior de Enfermagem); in 1989, a polytechnic school of education (Escola Superior de Educação da Madeira). In 1996, the Portuguese government and the University of Lisbon formally established the University of Madeira as an independent institution. In 2008, the university celebrated its 20-year anniversary.

University of Madeira today

Today, undergraduate and graduate students choose from a wide range of programs across several departments, including art and design,

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

Medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

& sports, English,

German studies German studies is an academic field that researches, documents and disseminates German language, literature, and culture in its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies therefore often focus on German culture, German h ...

, romanic studies,

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

and

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

and humanistic studies,

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

, and a

nursing school Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

. Specific programs include art and multimedia, communication culture and organizations, and the educational sciences.

Student life

The Academic Association of UMa (AAUMA) provides an array of extracurricular activities for university students throughout the year. Past AAUMA sponsored events have included film screenings, Sports Gala, boating trips, and volunteer opportunities. In addition, representatives from each student association serve on the Advisory Council, affording students an active role in the growth of the university and its relationship with the surrounding community. Students who wish to explore Funchal will find a modern city of about 100,000 inhabitants. Its harbor and climate, combined with an attractive geographical position, have allowed Funchal to have a rapid population growth. The island is noted for its wine production, along with its exotic flowers, tropical fruits, and New Year's Eve celebrations with a spectacular fireworks show, considered the biggest in the world.

Partnership with Carnegie Mellon

In 2007, Madeira's Mathematics and Engineering Department, along with Carnegie Mellon's Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) established a dual-degree Master's in Human-Computer Interaction program. In the program, students study computer science, design, psychology, and social and decision sciences. Students enrolled in the partnership program study in Madeira and at Carnegie Mellon's Pittsburgh campus, earning master's degrees from both universities.

Faculties

University of Madeira consists of the following faculties: * Faculty of Arts and Humanities * Faculty of Exact Sciences and Engineering * Faculty of Social Sciences * Faculty of Life Sciences * School of Health Sciences * School of Technology and Management

Specialized units and research projects

In addition to the above-mentioned faculties, UMa consists of several research and specialization units. Public funded Research Groups
Chemistry Centre of Madeira
* Madeira Interactive Technologies Institute (M-ITI) *

Molecular Materials Research Group The Molecular Materials Research Group (MMRG) is a multidisciplinary research group composed of several Ph.D. members as well as the expertise of other researchers in the field of Computational, Organic and Analytical Chemistry. Located at Madeira ...

Centre for Research in Education
Integrated in Public funded Research Groups * Centre of Applied Economics Studies of the Atlantic * Research Centre for Mathematics and Applications * Research Centre in Sports Science, Health and Human Development * Research Centre for Health Technology and Services * Low-Temperature Plasma Physics Research Group Other Research Groups * ISOPlexis Genebank * Research Centre for Regional and Local Studies * Centre for Portuguese and European Literatures and Cultures * Astronomy Group at the University of Madeira * Madeira Botanical Group * Human Genetics Lab

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Madeira, University of 1988 establishments in Portugal Universities and colleges established in 1988 University of Madeira Buildings and structures in Funchal Organisations based in Madeira