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HIGHER EDUCATION IN UKRAINE

Higher education in Ukraine has always been and still preserves high quality of education. Over 15 years of independence the country has built a well-developed, competitive and ramified system of national education in the European educational area.

Ukraine entered the III millennium promoting its own education policy and strategy and its main principle of education corresponding to those of highly developed countries.

At the moment Ukraine runs over 1000 higher educational institutions of all accreditation levels and forms of ownership: universities, academies, institutes, conservatories, colleges, technical and specialized schools. Our graduates, especially those who have diplomas in mathematics, physics, medicine, aviation and naval professions, engineering and chemical technologies are in demand all over the world which is evidenced by the fact that Ukraine has signed the Lisbon Convention on Mutual recognition of qualifications of higher education in European region.

The academic year in higher educational establishment in Ukraine starts on the 1st of September. It is divided into two terms, the first term is from September to the end of January and the second begins in February an ends in June. Each term lasts 17-18 weeks, followed by 3 week examination period.

The structure of higher education system in Ukraine is based on the education systems of the developed nations of the world in accordance with recommendations from the UNESCO and other international organizations.

Higher education is an integral part of the Ukrainian education system as laid down in the Law of Ukraine "On Education". The four-level system provides thorough academic, professional and practical training with the following degrees: Junior Specialist, Bachelor, Specialist, and Master.

Higher education can be obtained in higher education establishments of a certain level of accreditation. The applicants must have either basic general secondary education, complete secondary education, or hold degrees of the Junior Specialist or Bachelor, as well as of the Specialist or Master if they apply for a postgraduate degree.

The students can take either the full-time courses (day), part-time courses (evening classes, distance learning), or take a combination of these. Sometimes they can do an external course.

Admission to higher education establishments is selective and depends on the applicants' ability; it does not depend on the ownership type of the education establishment or the sources of money to pay tuition fees.

According to their status, all education establishments fall into four categories:

• First level - the technical school, vocational school, or other schools of the same level;

• Second level - the college, or other establishments of the same level;

• Third and fourth levels (according to their accreditation) - the institute, conservatoire, academy, university.

The higher education establishments can award degrees:

• Junior Specialist (technical schools, vocational schools, and other education establishments of the first accreditation level);

• Bachelor (colleges and other education establishments of the second accreditation level);

• Specialist, Master (education establishments of the third and fourth accreditation levels)

The multi-layer structure of the higher education system means that on completion of education on a given level, students obtain a corresponding degree and can move up from level to level.

According to the structure of the higher education system, the first level leads to Junior Specialist Diploma, the second level to Bachelor's Degree (basic higher education), the third to Specialist, Master's Degree (complete higher education).

Accredited education establishments provide instruction according to their accreditation level. However, the higher the accreditation level of an education establishment is, the more options it can offer its students, who can graduate it with a diploma or degree of any chosen level.

Being a participant of the Bologna process, Ukraine intends to join common European education system.

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