WENR

Bologna Country Update: Slovak Republic

Legislative Framework

The Higher Education Act of 1990 introduced a structure of higher education featuring a two-tiered system of undergraduate and graduate degrees in contrast to the pre-1989 system based on the five-year integrated Soviet model. It also guaranteed fundamental academic rights and freedoms consistent with those enjoyed by western universities. In 2002, a new Higher Education Act was adopted, which, among other things, outlined the legal status of higher education institutions and their fields of study; allowed for the creation of higher education establishments other than universities; established accreditation procedures; distinguished the bachelor, master, doctorate cycles along “Bologna” lines; and introduced a system of credits (see below for details). The new laws were promulgated in April 2002, and divided higher education institution into the following legal entities:

There are 24 higher education institutions in the Slovak Republic, of which, 19 are public, four are state owned and one is private. The only higher education institutions that have remained under complete state ownership are two military, one police and one medical school. City University [1], the only accredited private institution of higher education, offers bachelor-level qualifications only.

1. Easily Readable and Comparable Degrees

2. Degree Structure

Stage I: The Bakalár is awarded after three to four years of full-time study. The requirement for admission to bachelor- or integrated-level studies is the Maturita examination.

Stage I & II: The duration of second-tier studies is one to three years, and the combined duration of first- and second-tier studies should be no less than five years. The basic requirement for entry into a master’s program is the successful completion of the bachelor. Despite the introduction of bachelor-type degrees, universities continue to offer four to six-year integrated master’s programs, although they are offered only in special areas and cases (see below). Graduates of second-level programs (both “short” and “long”) are awarded the academic degree Magister, graduates from engineering programs are awarded the academic title Inzinier, and graduates of integrated medical programs are awarded the title Doctor Mediciny. All institutions of higher education that have received accreditation for postgraduate programs can offer master-level programs. However, they remain more typical for universities than for the non-university type institutions introduced by the Higher Education Law of 2002.

Stage III: The standard length of doctoral studies is between three and four years. Graduates are awarded the title PhD. Completion of a second-level program is required for entry into a doctoral program — there is currently no provision for entry into a doctoral program directly form a completed bachelor’s program.

3. Credit Transfer

4. Mobility

5. Quality Assurance

6. Promotion of European Dimensions in Higher Education


References