NOVA FCSH

What NOVA FCSH does

NOVA FCSH (Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas) is the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at NOVA University Lisbon, a Portuguese public higher education institution founded in 1977 and headquartered at Campus de Campolide, Lisbon. The broader university operates nine schools and faculties — FCSH, NOVA FCT (Science and Technology), Nova SBE (Business and Economics), NOVA Medical School, Nova School of Law, NOVA IMS (Information Management), ENSP (Public Health), ITQB (Chemical and Biological Sciences), and IHMT (Tropical Medicine) — alongside research platforms such as NIMSB (Medical Systems Biology), NIMSB's brain-on-a-chip and metabolic reprogramming platforms (ReMAP-PD, MetaBoost), and the newly launched NOVA Aerospace initiative at the Tires aerodrome in Cascais. NOVA employs 5,001–10,000 staff and serves a combined student and researcher community across Portugal and international markets, with a strategic research footprint spanning 46 cumulative ERC grants and 105 Stanford Top 2% highly cited researchers.

The university operates a platform-plus-services model: nine directly-enrolled academic schools deliver undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs; specialised research institutes (NIMSB, ITQB NOVA) operate proprietary scientific platforms; strategic initiatives (NOVA Health, NOVA Aerospace, NOVA Innovation) coordinate cross-school programmes; and support services (SASNOVA welfare, NOVA Doctoral School, NOVA Open Academy continuing education) provide ancillary revenue. Revenue is generated through four streams — Portuguese government block funding, regulated tuition and academic fees, competitive research grants (ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, EU framework), and partnership/licensing income from industry collaborators such as CUF Group, Fundação Champalimaud, TAP, ANAC, INDRA, and EUTOPIA alliance partners.

Distribution occurs through direct enrollment at each school, international recruitment via educational fairs and the SUPERNOVA foundation programme, mobility through the EUTOPIA alliance of 10 European universities, and self-serve continuing education via NOVA Open Academy. Customer segments comprise domestic and international students (primary), researchers and faculty (primary), and continuing-education professionals (secondary), with strategic partnerships serving as both revenue anchors and ecosystem-development vehicles.

Name

NOVA FCSH

Legal name

Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

Website

https://unl.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NOVA FCSH is the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities within NOVA University Lisbon, a Portuguese public research university founded in 1977 employing 5,001–10,000 staff. It delivers higher education and research across nine schools spanning social sciences, humanities, business, law, medicine, and technology, serving domestic and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Social sciences research
• Humanities programs
• Graduate education
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisboa

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, master's, doctoral programs, and continuing education courses for both domestic and international students
2. Government Funding: Public funding from Portuguese government for higher education operations and research activities
3. Research Grants: European Research Council grants, Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships, and other competitive research funding from EU and international bodies
4. Partnership and Licensing Revenue: Income from strategic partnerships with healthcare groups, industry collaborators, and technology transfer activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NOVA FCSH is the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at NOVA University Lisbon, offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs in humanities, social sciences, communication, and arts disciplines. As part of the broader NOVA University system, it contributes to interdisciplinary research and participates in continuing education through the NOVA Open Academy platform, the Doctoral School, and student welfare services through SASNOVA.

Product overview

NOVA FCSH is part of NOVA University Lisbon, a comprehensive public university consisting of multiple faculties and research institutes. The university operates a platform-plus-services model comprising: (1) Core academic faculties including NOVA FCSH (Social Sciences and Humanities), NOVA FCT (Science and Technology), NOVA SBE (Business and Economics), NOVA Medical School, NOVA School of Law, and NOVA IMS (Information Management); (2) Specialized research institutes such as NIMSB (Medical Systems Biology) and ITQB NOVA (Chemical and Biological Technology); (3) Strategic initiatives including NOVA Health, NOVA Aerospace, and NOVA Innovation/Impact programs; and (4) Support services including SASNOVA (social welfare), the Doctoral School, and various digital platforms for research and student services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NOVA ImpACT! Challenges: Innovation challenges program supporting students, researchers and entrepreneurs in creating solutions for social and environmental challenges
• PULSAR
• SASNOVA
• BANDUA
• NOVA Starters Academy
• SUPERNOVA
• NOVA Culture
• Rede 1/4
• EUTOPIA

Products and services

• NOVA FCSH Degree Programs
• NOVA Open Academy
• NOVA Doctoral School
• SASNOVA Student Welfare Services
• Nova SBE Executive Education
• NOVA Aerospace Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering
• Policy Transfer Office

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 ERC grants secured, positioning NOVA as a leading research university in Europe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CUF GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2026CUF Group ceded land for NOVA Medical School's new campus in Carcavelos. Strategic partnership strengthening collaboration in medical education, clinical research, and healthcare provision. NOVA also acquired the LHEA building from CUF.
• Fundação ChampalimaudcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Strategic partnership signed to accelerate health research, combining NOVA's academic capabilities with Champalimaud Foundation's expertise in neuroscience and biomedical research. Aims to advance scientific discoveries and their translation into clinical applications.
• Caixa Geral de DepósitosminorOthers · 1 September 2024Partnership providing all students, faculty, and staff with ID cards that may include banking functionality, offering benefits and advantages through partner entities.
• EUTOPIA AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university alliance of 10 institutions sharing common values and agendas, acting jointly to create a diverse and inclusive academic community. Provides mobility opportunities for students, faculty, and staff across member universities.
• TAPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement signed as part of NOVA Aerospace initiative to strengthen ties with aviation industry partners supporting the new aerospace engineering programs.
• ANAC (Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with National Civil Aviation Authority supporting NOVA Aerospace's vision for sustainable growth of aviation sector and raising profile of aeronautical professions.
• INDRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement signed with multinational technology company as part of NOVA Aerospace ecosystem development.
• ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica) - BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Brazilian Aeronautical Technology Institute supporting NOVA Aerospace's international collaboration in aerospace engineering education.
• Fulbright CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership providing scholarship opportunities for NOVA students to study and research in the United States through Fulbright program exchanges.
• Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership in global health research renewed with memorandum of understanding. Joint initiatives in health sciences, epidemiology, and biomedical research between Brazil and Portugal.
• Santander Foundation PortugalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership awarding innovative interdisciplinary research projects through Santander Foundation's academic funding programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Portugal's leading private university system, primarily operating in Lisbon and Porto. Competes with NOVA for premium students, particularly in business, law, and social sciences, and is a close substitute for executive education.
• University of Coimbra: Portugal's oldest public university with broad multi-disciplinary offerings. Competes with NOVA in humanities, law, sciences, and engineering, and shares the small pool of top-tier Portuguese research talent.
• University of Lisbon: The largest public research university in Portugal and NOVA's primary domestic competitor. Both compete for ERC grants, top faculty, and the same pool of Portuguese and international students across STEM and humanities.
• University of Porto: Another top-ranked Portuguese public research university with strong science, engineering, and medical schools. Direct competitor for talent, research funding, and international students in Portugal.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid: A larger Spanish public university with strong programs in engineering, business, and social sciences. Closely comparable to NOVA in its research-intensity benchmark and Iberian positioning.

Regional players

• Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ): Brazil's largest federal university and NOVA's strategic partner via the MoU with Fiocruz. Comparable in scale, public funding model, and multi-disciplinary research footprint, and competes for Lusophone talent in both markets.
• Universidade do Minho: Another Portuguese public university with notable research output and ERC grants. Comparable to NOVA in its multi-disciplinary profile and serves as a regional benchmark for research productivity and internationalization.
• ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon: Lisbon-based public university focused on social sciences, management, and technology. Direct competitor with NOVA SBE and NOVA IMS for business and data science students in the Lisbon metro area.

Emerging players

• IE University: A private, internationally-oriented Spanish university with top-ranked business and executive education programs. Direct competitor to NOVA SBE for global executive education and international student positioning in Iberia.
• Universitat Pompeu Fabra: A leading Spanish public university known for research excellence and social sciences. Similar profile to NOVA in terms of size, research intensity, and ambition to compete in European rankings, particularly in Barcelona.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NovaUnl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/unlnovatv
• Facebookfacebook.com/NOVAFCSH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/universidade-nova-de-lisboa
• Instagraminstagram.com/universidade_nova_lisboa
• TikToktiktok.com/@geracao_nova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NOVA FCSH