Honduras

The National Autonomous University of Honduras, founded in 1847, is the premier institution of higher learning. It became autonomous in 1847, and in the 1990s, more than 30,000 students were enrolled. In addition to the main campus in Tegucigalpa, it has branches in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba. Other universities include JoséCecilio del Valle University (founded in 1977), Central American Technological University (1986), and the National Pedagogic University Francisco Morazán (1989). This latter institution trains mainly secondary teachers. There is low morale among university professors, as they are poorly paid and receive little encouragement to do research. Most professors are not full time.

To be accepted at the university, students must finish high school and take a general orientation course. There are three stages, or university levels. In the first stage students can, after three or four years of study, earn a university first degree (bachillerato universitario) or a licentiate (licenciatura). The university usually does not offer master's or doctoral programs, although there are doctoral degrees for medicine, chemistry, and dental surgery.

Most students at the university choose careers in medicine, law, or engineering. To specialize in medicine, students have to work for three years after they complete six years of undergraduate work. Because they have to work full- or part-time, many college students take even longer to finish their degree programs. In addition, many do not get their diplomas at all because they fail the final comprehensive examination.