Educational institutions and study programmes
Ukrainian educational institutions and study programmes
Below, we explain what types of Ukrainian educational institutions and study programmes there are. And how we check whether they are recognised or accredited. We check the and to make sure that the quality is sufficient. On this page, we give the necessary information for each type of education.
Recognition
The government of a country grants an official status to an educational institution and/or study programme. Usually, if the government recognises an educational institution, all its study programmes are also recognised. However recognition may also be arranged at the programme level. This means that the government must recognise not only the educational institution, but also its study programmes. We only evaluate diplomas from recognised institutions and recognised study programmes. Read more about recognition in the EAR manual.
Accreditation
An organisation checks and assesses the quality of education. Usually the accreditation is valid for a certain period. In some countries, accreditation is compulsory, in others it is voluntary. The government of a country often appoints one or more organisations responsible for accrediting institutions and/or study programmes. In addition, there are also private accreditation organisations. We only mention and (in the case of diploma evaluations) consult accreditation organisations appointed by the government of that country. Read more about accreditation in the EAR manual.
Secondary education | diplomas
In the case of a secondary education programme, you have to pay special attention to whether the student has a recognised diploma. This is the recognised secondary school diploma:
- Svidotstvo pro zdobuttia povnoi zahalnoi serednioi osviti. Please note: this diploma was called 'Atestat pro povnu zahalnu seredniu osvitu' up to and including 2018.
At Secondary education documents, we give a brief explanation of how to you can check a secondary school diploma meets the rules of the state. Almost all schools are state schools.
International schools
There are also international schools in Ukraine. These schools offer American, British or international education. For this reason, we compare recognised diplomas from these schools in the same way as recognised diplomas from an American high school, British school or the International Baccalaureate.
Higher education | educational institutions
There are various types of higher education institutions in Ukraine:
- universities
- institutes
- academies
- conservatories
- colleges
These educational institutions make no distinction between research-oriented education ( ) or education focused on professional practice ( ). They can offer both types of education. Universities offer a wide range of study programmes and fields of study at all levels: from junior bachelor programmes to doctoral (PhD) programmes. The other types of educational institutions are often smaller or focus on a particular field of study or type of programme.
WO
Research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). WO is oriented more towards theory and research than HBO, and has traditionally been offered at research universities (universiteiten).
HBO
Higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). Dutch higher education distinguishes between research-oriented higher education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs, WO) and higher professional education (hoger beroepsonderwijs, HBO). HBO is more oriented towards professions in specific areas than WO, and has traditionally been offered at universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).
Checking the accreditation of educational institutions
It is easy to see from the diploma whether the educational institution is accredited. Only accredited institutions may award diplomas that meet the fixed rules of the state. See Higher education documents.
If a diploma does not meet the fixed rules, it is immediately clear that the educational institution or programme is not accredited. In that case, it is not necessary to check the accreditation: it is sufficient to check what the diploma looks like.
If you want to find out for yourself whether a higher education institution is accredited:
- Go to the ENIC Ukraine website.
- You can search by the full name of part of the name. Sometimes it is easier to search by entering the region first.
- If the institution is not listed, it is probably not accredited.
- You can also go to the overview of institutions on the government website (in Ukrainian only).
- Click on the middle block on the first line: Заклади вищої освіти (higher education institutions).
Political situation
The political situation of the country has an impact on education. Since 2014, there have been 2 self-proclaimed people's republics in eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk, together known as the Donbas). In the same year, Russia took possession of Crimea. In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and the consequences are still uncertain.
Some institutions in the Donbas or Crimea have moved to another place or only offer online education. It is difficult to check the accreditation of educational institutions that have remained in these areas. It is not clear which organisations monitor the quality of educational institutions. Sometimes the Ukrainian or Russian Ministry of Education gives additional statements. Sometimes students of these institutions receive Russian diplomas.