Higher Education Systems - Lithuania
Lithuania has a binary system of higher education with traditional research university institutions called universitetas (university), akademija (academy), or seminarija (seminary) and professionally-oriented institutions – kolegija (colleges), or aukštoji mokykla (higher education institution). University institutions primarily provide academic education and award Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor’s degrees. Colleges (equivalent to Universities of Applied Sciences) focus on non-academic professional education and might award only Professional Bachelor’s degrees. Universities and Colleges can be public (state) or private (non-state), in either case they should meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science.
Until 2000, the higher education system was unitary. The binary system of higher education, divided into university sector and non-university sector, was introduced in 2000 with the institutional reform. The reform was aimed at phasing out what was known as advanced vocational education and training (aukštesnysis mokslas) provided by advanced vocational education and training schools (aukštesnioji mokykla) and developing a non-university segment of the higher education system in its place. Institutions that were sufficiently qualified to provide non-university higher education were transformed into higher education colleges (kolegija) or departments of such colleges [LT2].
Degrees
The higher education system is organized according to the Bologna agreement on three levels:
- Bachelor’s degree programs (Profesinis bakalauras or Bakalauras)
- Master’s degree programs (Magistras)
- Doctoral degree programs (Daktaras).
Applicants to first cycle studies are required to have a general secondary education diploma (brandos atestatas) or an equivalent qualification. The Professional Bachelor’s degree (Profesinis bakalauras diplomas) consists of 180-210 ECTS and is awarded after completion of the college (UAS) level study programs which are more oriented towards preparation for professional activity and applied research.
Bachelor’s degree study programs (Bakalauras) require completion of 210-240 ECTS. Compared to college (UAS) studies, university curriculum is more academically oriented. After completion of the studies a Bachelor’s Diploma (Bakalauro diplomas) is awarded.
The admission requirements to Master’s programs include Bachelor’s / Professional Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification. The programs require completion of 90-120 ECTS, after which a Master’s degree (Magistro laipsnis) is awarded. Master’s degree may also be awarded after completion of integrated long-cycle (Vientisosios) university studies, which combine the 1st and 2nd cycle of university studies. Traditionally, these studies are offered in several fields of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, law, and religious studies.
To be admitted to Doctor of Science degree studies (Mokslo daktaras), candidates must hold Master’s degree or a comparable qualification. The purpose of doctoral studies of science is to prepare scientists who would be able to independently conduct research and experimental development work, and to solve scientific problems. Doctoral studies usually last 4 years for full-time and 6 years for part-time. After completion of the studies and passing public defense of a PhD thesis, a Doctoral Diploma (Daktaro diplomas) is awarded.
Grades
The typical grading scale is from 1 to 10, with 5 as the minimum pass grade and with 10 as the maximum pass grade. Alongside the ten-point grading institutions can use the pass/fail system of evaluation. A student passes when he / she proves that he / she assimilated no less than 50 % of the required knowledge scope.