 The polytechnic institutions of engineering, born after 1974, used to award the professional title of "Engenheiro Técnico" (Technical Engineer), a title conferred after a three years course; the degree was known as "bacharelato".Polytechnic institutions conferred 3-years "bacharelato" degrees in several technical engineering specializations, until the late 1990s.At this time new legal decrees were adopted by Portuguese State (Administrative Rule 413A/98 of 17 July 1998), and it started to award 3 + 2 "licenciaturas bietápicas" ("bacharelato" plus one or two extra years, conferring the "licenciatura" degree - a degree that had been awarded exclusively by the universities).