The University of Tirana (Albanian: Universiteti I Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the State University of Tirana (SUT) in 1957 through merging of five existing institutes of higher education.
The main building was planned by Italian architect, Gherardo Bosio at the beginning of 1940. It is situated at the Mother Teresa Square, south of the city center of Tirana.
The primary language of instruction is Albanian, but there are a number of faculties of foreign languages which are carried out in English, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish, German, Chinese and other languages.
The University of Tirana was founded in 1957 as the State University of Tirana (Albanian: Universiteti Shtetëror i Tiranës), through the merging of five existing institutes of higher education, the most important of which was the Institute of Sciences, founded in 1947. Immediately after the death of Enver Hoxha in 1985, the university was renamed the Enver Hoxha University of Tirana (Albanian: Universiteti i Tiranës Enver Hoxha) until 1992.
Contents
Academics and size
The university is the largest and highest ranking university in Albania. It includes eight colleges, 50 academic departments, and 41 study programs or majors. Most programs are offered in Tirana; a few smaller affiliated campuses are located in other Albanian cities, including Saranda in the southern part of the country and Kukës in the north. It offers three-year bachelor's, one- or two-year master's, and three- to five-year doctorate degree programs, in accordance with the Bologna system.
The current campus is urban and decentralised. A new large and centralised campus has been planned in the southeast periphery of Tirana. Student dorms are grouped in a separate location called Student City (Qyteti Studenti) in southeast Tirana.
UT is the biggest university in Albania, and among the biggest in Europe with 35,000 students. In 2013 the college accepted 95 new Ph.D. students. These are students in possession of bachelor's degrees.
Faculties and departments
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences
Faculty of History and Philology
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Economic Sciences
Contains the J. Limprecht Library, named after Joseph Limprecht, a United States of America ambassador to Albania from 1999 to 2002.
Faculty of Foreign Languages
Department of Physical Education
Notable people
Sali Berisha (born 1944), cardiologist, resident of Albania and Prime Minister
Elona Gjebrea (born 1968), Socialist Party of Albania politician
Shpresa Gjongecaj (born 1952), professor of Numismatics
Odhise Grillo (1932–2003), writer of children's books
Besjana Guri, environemntalist and Goldman Prize recipient
Nexhmije Hoxha (1921–2020), politician
Shefki Hysa (born 1957), writer and journalist
Helena Kadare (born 1943), author
Ismail Kadare (1936–2024), novelist and poet, winner of the 2005 Man Booker International Prize, the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award, and the 2015 Jerusalem Prize
Ardian Klosi (1957–2012), publicist and activist
Dhori Kule (born 1957), rector of the University of Tirana
Pandeli Majko (born 1967), politician
Jakup Mato (1934–2005), publicist and educational administrator
Laura Mersini-Houghton, cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and professor
Ilir Meta (born 1969), Albanian president
Fatos Nano (1952–2025), prime minister of Albania, member of the Albanian Parliament