The University of Beira Interior (UBI) has introduced Free Curricular Units (UCL) in undergraduate programs, in effect since July. The initiative aims to provide students with more flexible academic pathways, allowing contact with scientific areas different from their core training and promoting broader learning.
The UCL is now mandatory in the creation, reformulation, or accreditation of all UBI undergraduate study cycles. The curricular unit should preferably be in the 2nd semester of the 2nd or 3rd year of the program and be taught outside the mandatory core of the main scientific area, encouraging new methodologies and knowledge.
With this measure, UBI aims to develop in students skills in communication, digital literacy, ethics, citizenship, sustainability, innovation, critical thinking, collaborative work, and lifelong learning.
The initiative also gains a European dimension, making it possible for students to attend the UCL at partner institutions of the UNITA alliance — Universitas Montium, in countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Romania, or Switzerland, within the framework of Personalized International Learning Paths.