Higher education

25 Nov 2010

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Short description of the higher education system

Higher education is provided at five different types of institutions: universities (universitas), academies (akademis), colleges (sekolah tinggi), polytechnics (politekniks) and institutes (instituts). Universities and institutes provide both academic and higher professional education, whereas academies, colleges and polytechnics only provide the latter. Graduates from university (i.e. academic) programmes receive a degree, whereas graduates of higher professional education programmes are awarded a diploma.
 

Types of degrees

Institutions of higher education providing academic as well as vocational education offer various levels of education. Those offering academic education can offer Sarjana (bachelor’s) degrees and are also able to offer professional programmes and Magister (S2) or master’s programmes, specialist programmes (SP) and doctoral programmes (S3). Those offering vocational education offer Diploma I, II III and IV programmes.

In order to complete the S1 or bachelor’s programme, students are required to earn 144-160 semester credit units (SKS 1) over a period of eight to twelve semesters. At S2 or master’s level, students must earn 39-50 SKS over a period of four to ten semesters, and 76-88 SKS for the S3 or doctoral level, to be completed within eight to fourteen semesters.
 

Quality assurance and accreditation

Since 1994, accreditation of higher education programmes has been carried out by the Badan Akreditasi Nasional Perguruan Tinggi (BAN-PT), the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education. BAN-PT falls under the Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, or Ministry of Education. This accreditation body began accrediting programmes in 1996, beginning with the Sarjana I programmes, then Sarjana II, and finally Sarjana III. In 2001 the Diploma III programmes began being accredited, and in 2002 the remaining Diploma programmes. The first accreditation results were published in 1998. Each programme is assigned a grade: A (very good), B (good), C (satisfactory) or D (unsatisfactory).

Before 1998, government accreditation was not necessary for programmes at state institutions (PTN) as these programmes were accredited automatically. Programmes at private institutions had to be accredited, and could be assigned one of the following three statuses by the regional Kopertis: Terdaftar (registered), Diakui (recognized) or Disamakan (equal). Disamakan was the highest of the three and indicated that the quality of the programme was equal to that of a state institution. The Ministry of Education website contains an official database with an overview of institutions that are authorized to provide education programmes in Indonesia.
 

Recent reforms

The new Strategic Plan for 2010-2014 of the Ministry of National education / Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI) prioritizes the following focal points:

  • Increase the number of qualitative and relevant state Higher Education Institutions.
  • Increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of qualitative higher education.
  • Achieve autonomous and accountable higher education institutions and system.
  • Improve HEIs' role in social and national development.

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