HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

The general prerequisite for admission to higher education study is  secondary school-leaving certificate (vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške) issued after passing the secondary school-leaving examination taken upon completing 13, exceptionally, 12 years of study.

The school-leaving certificates are issued by the following types of secondary schools:

1.       gymnasium - the study takes 4- or 8-years depending on the grade of the basic school it follows,

2.       specialised secondary school  4- or 5-years study,

3.       vocational secondary school - only the certificates issued after 4- or 5 years of  study,

4.       conservatoire -  the study takes  4 or 6 years, in the dance specialisation  8 years depending on the grade of the basic school it follows.

Higher education institutions organise as a rule the admission examination.

Study in higher education institutions

Higher education institutions provide the study programmes at three levels:

1.       The Bachelor’s study programme which takes three years at least and four years at most (architecture, fine art and design).

2.       The Magister‘s, Engineer‘s and Doctor’s study  programme. The study takes one year at least and four years at most so that the standard length of study according to the Bachelor’s study programme  and  the  continuing  programme of the second level  in the same or relative field of study represented in   total five years at least. It may be also carried out as a  continuous  study connecting the first and second level of higher education.

In this case the standard length of study is four years at least and six years at most.

3.       The Phd. study programme. The standard length in full-time form is three years at least and four years at most, in part-time five years.

Higher education institutions award the following academic degrees:

1^st level

-bakalár  (Bc. )

2^nd level

-magister (Mgr.), in the field of art   magister umenia (Mgr. art.)

-inžinier (Ing.) in  technical, agricultural and economic fields of  Engineer’s programmes, and in the field of  architecture and town-planning the academic  degree of  inžinier architekt (Ing. arch.)

-doktor všeobecného lekárstva (MUDr.) in the field of general humane medicine

-doktor veterinárskeho lekárstva (MVDr.) in the field of veterinary medicine

3^rd level

-philosophiae doctor  (PhD.)

-artis doctor (ArtD.) in the field of art

The study started after the academic year 2002/2003:

-doktor -philosophiae doctor (PhD.)

-doktor umenia- artis doctor (ArtD.)

-licenciát  (Catholic) teológie (ThLic.)

-doktor (Catholic ) teológie (ThDr.)