Higher education

Unlike Dutch higher education, Ukrainian higher education is not divided into higher professional education (HBO) and research-oriented higher education (WO). Ukrainian higher education institutions can offer both types of education. This often means that, for each diploma, we have to determine whether it is HBO i or WO i . Below, we describe the diplomas that we often see.

You can find more information about higher education on the ENIC Ukraine website.

• Duration i : 2 years (120 ECTS).
• Content: mostly profession-oriented education.
• Admission requirements: the Svidotstvo pro zdobuttia povnoi zahalnoi serednioi osviti.
• Function of the diploma: access to a bachelor's programme or work.
• Diploma: Dyplom molodshoho bakalavra - Диплом молодшого бакалавра (Junior bachelor diploma).

Please note that there is also a professional junior bachelor (fakhovi molodshi bakalavr - фаховий молодший бакалавр) that does not fall under higher education.

The final junior specialist programme started in 2019. Since 2020, students can only start with the junior bachelor programme.

• Duration i : 2 to 4 years. This depends on previous education (see ‘Content’).
• Content: mostly profession-oriented. Students could start this programme after 9 years of primary education or after 11 years of general education. In any case, they still had to take general education subjects if they started the programme after 9 years of primary education.
• Admission requirements: the Svidotstvo pro zdobuttia povnoi zahalnoi serednioi osviti.
• Function of the diploma: admission to a bachelor’s programme or specialist programme or to work.
• Diploma: Dyplom molodshoho spetsialista - Диплом молодшого спеціаліста (Junior specialist diploma).

• Duration i : 3 to 4 years (180-240 ECTS).
• Content: research-oriented or profession-oriented education. This depends on the field of study. Sometimes a thesis or a project.
• Admission requirements: the Svidotstvo pro zdobuttia povnoi zahalnoi serednioi osviti or a junior bachelor. Someone with a junior bachelor diploma gets exemptions and can finish the bachelor's programme faster.
• Function of the diploma: access to a master's programme or work.
• Diploma: Dyplom bakalavra - Диплом бакалавра (Bachelor diploma). If the student received the diploma with high marks, the diploma is called Dyplom bakalavra z vidznakoyu - Диплом бакалавра з вiдзнакою (Bachelor diploma with distinction).

• Duration: 1½ or 2 years (90 or 120 ECTS).
  • Profession-oriented master’s programmes last 1½ or 2 years.
  • Research-oriented master's programmes always last 2 years.
• Content: research-oriented or profession-oriented education. In the case of research-oriented master's programmes, students must spend at least 30% of their time working on their thesis.
• Admission requirements: a bachelor.
• Function of the diploma: access to a doctoral programme (PhD) or work.
• Diploma: Dyplom mahistra - Диплом магiстра (Master diploma). If the student received the diploma with high marks, the diploma is called Dyplom mahistra z vidznakoyu - Диплом магiстра з вiдзнакою (Master diploma with distinction).

Integrated master's programmes

For a number of fields of study, there are only integrated master's programmes: the programme is a combination of a bachelor's and a master's programme. The student only receives a master's degree and does not receive a bachelor's degree. This is the case, for example, for study programmes in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

Please note: until recently, students received a Specialist diploma after completing these study programmes.

The last specialist programmes started in 2016. These days, students can only start bachelor’s or master’s programmes.

• Duration i :
  • 4-6 years (240-360 ECTS), after secondary school. The most common duration was 5 years. A specialist programme in medicine lasted 6 years, some teacher training programmes 4 years.
  • 1-1½ years (60-90 ECTS) after a bachelor's degree.
• Content: profession-oriented research-oriented or profession-oriented education. Sometimes students had to write a thesis, but they always finished the programme with state exams. The diploma always mentioned a professional qualification, for instance civil engineer or English teacher.
• Admission requirements: the Atestat pro povnu zahalnu seredniu osvitu or a bachelor for access to the last year or 1½ years of a specialist programme.
• Function of the diploma: access to a doctoral programme (PhD) or work.
• Diploma: Dyplom spetsialista - Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist diploma). If the student received the diploma with high marks, the diploma is called Dyplom spetsialista z vidznakoyu - Диплом спеціаліста з вiдзнакою (Specialist diploma with distinction).

The doctor of philosophy programme started in 2016. It replaces the old candidate of science programme.

• Duration i : 4 years.
• Content: half to 1 full year of research-oriented education (30-60 ECTS). Students also do research and they write and defend their dissertation.
• Admission requirements: a master.
• Diploma: Dyplom doktora filosofii - Диплом доктора філософії (Doctor of philosophy/PhD diploma).

There is also a doctoral programme in the arts. It takes 3 years and leads to the diploma Dyplom doktora mystetstva - Диплом доктора мистецтва (Doctor of fine arts).

The last candidate of science programmes started in 2015. These days, students can only start a doctor of philosophy or a doctor of fine arts programme.

• Duration i : minimum 3 years.
• Content: research-oriented education. Students also do research and they write and defend their dissertation.
• Admission requirements: a Specialist diploma or a master.
• Diploma: Dyplom kandidata nauk - Диплом кандидата наук (Candidate of science diploma).