Study in Europe › Portugal › ISEG Lisbon

Bachelor in Economics (taught in English)

Universidade de Lisboa (ISEG Lisbon School of Economics & Management) · Lisbon, Portugal

100% taught in EnglishApply via DGES national access competition (Concurso Nacional de Acesso), requesting that a foreign exam replace the Portuguese entrance exam, not the CAOLimited placesPublic universityLow EU feeMaths requirement
Duration3 years
StartsAutumn 2027
EntryLimited places
Deadline (EU)Late Jul 2027 for exam substitution (1st phase; dates TBC)
EU fee 2025/26€697 / yr

About the course

A three-year economics degree taught in English at ISEG, the University of Lisbon’s school of economics and management. Compulsory modules cover micro- and macroeconomics, mathematics and quantitative methods, and finance and business subjects, with electives in Year 3. ISEG holds EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditation, and the degree’s A3ES accreditation runs to 2028.

Entry requirements for Irish students

  • Portugal does not use CAO points or a fixed list of Leaving Cert grades. Irish students are EU citizens, so they apply through the DGES national competition. Your Leaving Cert must be recognised as equal to the Portuguese secondary diploma, which gives you a final score out of 200. You need at least 100/200 overall to apply. The overall score is weighted 50% on your school-leaving grade and 50% on the entrance exam(s). Confirm with the DGES how your Leaving Cert grades will be converted.
  • Entrance exam: Mathematics A is compulsory. You can take it alone or with one of Portuguese, Economics, Physics and Chemistry, Geography, English, or Biology and Geology, and you need at least 95/200 in the exam. Students from other school systems can ask to use a comparable national final exam from their own country in its place, from the list the CNAES publishes each year by 31 May. Leaving Cert Higher Level Maths is the likely equivalent for Irish students, but check the 2027 CNAES list to confirm it is accepted.
  • English: the course is taught in English. No separate English test requirement could be confirmed, so ask ISEG admissions whether Leaving Cert English is accepted as proof.

How to apply

  1. Get your Leaving Cert recognisedEarly in 2027, ask the DGES how to get your Leaving Cert recognised as equal to the Portuguese secondary diploma, and how your grades will be converted to the 0-200 scale.
  2. Arrange exam substitutionCheck the CNAES list of foreign exams accepted in place of entrance exams, published by 31 May, to confirm that Leaving Cert Higher Level Maths replaces Mathematics A. Note the substitution deadline: it was 29 July in 2026. Request a DGES application password in good time.
  3. Apply through the DGESApply online at dges.gov.pt when the 2027 calendar opens. In 2026 the 1st phase ran 20 July to 6 August and the 2nd phase 24 August to 20 September. List ISEG Economics among your choices.
  4. Enrol at ISEGIf you get a place, enrol at ISEG within the enrolment window given with the results (24-27 August for the 1st phase in 2026), then pay the first fee instalment.
Deadline for Irish/EU applicants: The 2027 DGES calendar is not published yet. In 2026 the 1st phase ran from 20 July to 6 August. Applicants asking to replace a Portuguese entrance exam with a foreign exam had an earlier cut-off of 29 July. Results came out on 23 August. The 2nd phase ran from 24 August to 20 September (results 30 September), and the 3rd phase from 10 to 12 October. Leaving Cert results normally come out in late August, after the 1st phase closes. Ask the DGES early whether you can apply in the 2nd phase with your results and the exam substitution, and check how many places are left by then..

Costs

  • ISEG is a public university, so EU students, including Irish citizens, pay the low EU fee. ISEG lists this as 697 euro a year for 2025/26. The 7,500 euro fee for non-EU students does not apply to Irish citizens. The fee for 2027/28 is not published yet and may rise slightly, so confirm it with ISEG before you enrol.
This is a public university place taught in English, with a low EU fee of about 700 euro a year. You apply through Portugal’s national competition, not the CAO. You will need Leaving Cert Maths accepted in place of Portugal’s Mathematics A exam. The 1st-phase deadline comes before Leaving Cert results, so plan for the timing early.

At a glance

CountryPortugal
CityLisbon
LanguageEnglish
Apply viaDGES national access competition (Concurso Nacional de Acesso), requesting that a foreign exam replace the Portuguese entrance exam
Places30 (numerus clausus listed on the ISEG programme page; check the 2027 DGES vacancies list)
EntryLimited places
Programme page ↗DGES: foreign exams replacing entrance exams ↗DGES: national access competition calendar ↗← Back to all European courses

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Checked against the official ISEG and DGES websites: September 2026 (2027 entry). The fee is for 2025/26 and the dates are from 2026. The 2027 figures are not published yet. Always confirm details with the university before applying.