Information about applications for the 2026/27 academic year will be available soon. You can find application information for 2025/26 below.

 

On this page, you will find the necessary requirements to apply to the Change of Institution/Course Pair Regime and other information regarding the application steps.

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Access Qualifications

Applicants Holding Portuguese Secondary Education Diplomas

Applicants may apply if they meet all the following conditions:

a) The Applicant holds a Portuguese secondary education diploma;

b) The Applicant was enrolled and registered in another 1st cycle institution/course pair, and did not complete it;

c) The Applicant completed the entrance exams, in any year, having obtained, in each of these exams, a score of at least 95 points (0 to 200), namely:

02 - Biology and Geology and 07 - Physics and Chemistry

02 - Biology and Geology and 16 – Mathematics

Applicants Holding Foreign Secondary Education Diplomas

Applicants may also apply if they meet all the following conditions:

a) The Applicant holds a foreign secondary education diploma, obtained abroad or in Portugal, which is legally equivalent to Portuguese secondary education;

b) The Applicant was enrolled and registered in another 1st cycle institution/course pair, and did not complete it;

c) The Applicant completed, in any year, the final exams of the final year subjects of the respective foreign secondary education degree, equivalent to subjects in Portuguese education, which can be accepted in lieu of entrance exams, having furthermore obtained, in each of these, a score of at least 95 points (0 to 200), namely:

02 - Biology and Geology and 07 - Physics and Chemistry

02 - Biology and Geology and 16 – Mathematics

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Entrance Exams

 

- Exams from International Diplomas

Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biology + Environmental Management
07 Física e Química	Chemistry AS level or Chemistry A level and Physics AS level or Physics A level
16 Matemática	Mathematics-Further or Mathematics AS level or Mathematics A level

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB Diploma)

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biology SL/HL
07 Física e Química	Chemistry SL/HL and Physics SL/HL
16 Matemática	Further Mathematics or Mathematics or Mathematics Analysis and Aproaches - SL/HL or Mathematics Applications and Interpretations - SL/HL

Baccalauréat Européen (BAC Europeu)

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biologie
07 Física e Química	Chimie and Physique
16 Matemática	Mathématiques - BAC ES or Mathématiques - BAC S or Mathématiques 3 or Mathématiques 5

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biology Ecological (SAT Exams) or Biology Molecular (SAT Exams)
07 Física e Química	Chemistry (SAT Exams) and Physics (SAT Exams)
16 Matemática	Mathematics Level 2 (SAT Exams)

Advanced Placement Exam (AP Exams)

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	AP Biology (AP Exam) or AP Biology (AP Exam) + Environmental Science (AP Exam)
07 Física e Química	AP Physics 1: Algebra Based (AP Exam) and AP Chemistry (AP Exam)
16 Matemática	AP Calculus AB (AP Exam) or AP Calculus BC (AP Exam)

 

- Equivalent Exams from other countries

France

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Sciences de La Vie et de La Terre or Biologie-Ecologie or Écologie Agronomie et Territoires
07 Física e Química	Sciences Physiques et Chimie
16 Matemática	Mathématique Complémentaire or Mathematiques - BAC général

Germany

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biologie Klass 12 (Abitur)
07 Física e Química	Chemie Klass 12 (Abitur) and Physik Klass 12 (Abitur)
16 Matemática	Mathematik Klass 12 (Abitur)

Spain

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Ciencias de La Terra y Medioambientales (EBAU) or Biología (EBAU)
07 Física e Química	Química (EBAU) and Física (EBAU)
16 Matemática	Matemáticas Aplicadas a las Ciencias Sociales II (EBAU) or Matemáticas II (EBAU)

Switzerland

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Sciences Naturelles (Maturité Fédéral Suisse) or Biologie
07 Física e Química	Chimie (Maturité Fédéral Suisse) and Physique (Maturité Fédéral Suisse)
16 Matemática	Mathématiques (Maturité Fédérale Suisse) or Mathématiques (Maturité Gymnasiale Suisse)

United Kingdom // General Certificate of Education (GCE)

Portuguese National Exams	Equivalent Exams
02 Biologia e Geologia	Biology + Environmental Science
07 Física e Química	Chemistry and Physics
16 Matemática	Mathematics: Further Pure or Mathematics A - Level or Further Mathematics

The required entrance exams are considered equivalent to the corresponding Portuguese national exams in accordance to the Deliberation No. 677/2024.

A successful applicant must score a minimum of 95 (0 of 200) in each of the entrance exams, when translated to the Portuguese National grading system.

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Prerequisites

 

- Of Selection

• English Proficiency

Minimum English level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), attested by one of the following certificates:

a) Cambridge English Exams - Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) - minimum score of 180;

b) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic - minimum score of 7;

c) Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) - a minimum score of 94;

d) Aptis ESOL Advanced - British Council: minimum level C1 of CEFR;

e) Satisfaction test carried out at Católica Languages & Translation: minimum level C1 of CEFR;

f) Applicants who provide proof that they have English as their first language or have attended secondary school exclusively in English.

*Note: You should pay attention to the recommendations for the validity of the exams.​

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Required Documentation for the Application

Applications must be submitted via an online platform.

At the end of the submission process, the applicant will receive payment information (ATM reference for applicants residing in Portugal or IBAN for applicants residing abroad). The application will only be completed once payment has been made. Incomplete applications or applications without associated payment will not be assessed.

Face-to-face appointments by appointment only (saude.sede@ucp.pt)

The necessary documentation is as follows:

• Passport-type photo;
• Identification document – Citizen Card or, if other type of document, the tax identification number is also required;
• Qualifications certificate, if the Applicant holds a Portuguese secondary education diploma;
• Certificate/diploma of foreign secondary education (obtained abroad or in Portugal), legally equivalent to the Portuguese Diploma. Applicants will need to request an equivalence certificate at the Direção Geral de Educação (DGE), if they hold a foreign secondary education diploma;
• Certificate of National Exams - ENES Form, if the Applicant holds a Portuguese secondary education diploma;
• Proof of completion of foreign final exams or final year subject exams of the respective foreign secondary education degree, legally equivalent to the subjects in Portuguese education, if the Applicants holds a foreign secondary education diploma;
• Certificate of the curricular units completed in higher education (Portuguese or foreign) in which the Applicant was approved, with the respective grades, ECTS credits or workload and, for students who have attended foreign higher education institutions, a statement explaining the grading scale, if it is different from the Portuguese system;
• Proof of English Language Proficiency.

Notes:

• Original documents / certificates are not required during the application.
• Original documents issued abroad in accordance with the legislation of the respective country, and documents issued outside Portugal legalized by a foreign civil servant, are considered legalized under Portuguese Law if the signature of the public servant is certified by a Portuguese diplomatic agent or consular officer in the respective State and the signature of that agent is authenticated with the respective consular seal. In cases of documents issued by signatories of the Hague convention of 5th October 1961, the documents will be legalized by apostille, under the terms of article 3 of the convention.
• Documents are only accepted if they are in Portuguese or English. Documents in other languages must be presented as an official translation in English or Portuguese, duly certified and issued within the terms of notarial law.

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Application Calendar:

1st phase of applications: June 2nd to July 22nd, 2025
Results: July 24, 2025
Enrollment: July 25 to 30, 2025

2nd application phase: July 23 to August 10, 2025
Results: August 11, 2025
Enrollment: August 12-13, 2025

3rd application phase: August 11 to September 1, 2025
Results: September 2, 2025
Enrollment: September 03-05, 2025

Call for applications 2025/26 

Classes will start on September 8th 2025 
Welcome Day on 5th of September 2025  

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Vacancies

There are 3 vacancies for the Change of Institution-Course Pair Regime , for the 2025/26 academic year.

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Application Fee

The application fee for the BSc in Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience will be:

New Student: 302.50€
Former UCP Student: 250€

This amount is not refundable.

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Apply here