The education system in the Slovak Republic is based on three-tier system (primary, secondary and higher education). Schooling in duration ten years is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 16. Basic school /grade 1-9/ provides education up to the age of 15.

Secondary education is provided by the following types of schools:

Gymnasium (gymnázium) provides general secondary education and prepares for further study at universities and other higher education institutions( secondary school leaving certificate - vysvedcenie o maturitnej skúške). Study lasts 4 years /(based on grade 8 or 9 of basic school) or 8 years / based on grade 4 of the basic school).

Specialized secondary school (stredná odborná škola) prepares students mainly for vocational education and for study at higher education institutions (secondary school leaving certificate - vysvedcenie o maturitnej skúške) and it also offers the courses at postsecondary level (absolutórium) .

Conservatory (konzervatórium) is a special type of professional school providing courses in such branches as singing, music, dancing or dramatic arts at secondary level (secondary school leaving certificate - vysvedcenie o maturitnej skúške) and as well as at postsecondary level (absolutórium).

Secondary vocational school (stredné odborné ucilište) prepares students for occupations requiring vocational education (apprenticeship)and as well as for more demanding occupations ( secondary school leaving certificate -vysvedcenie o maturitnej skúške).

Secondary school- leavers with secondary school leaving certificate ( vysvedcenie o maturitnej skúške) issued after successful completion of 13, exeptionally 12 years of schooling fulfill general requirements for admission to higher education institutions.

At present, there are 21 higher education institutions /HEIs/, including 2 military academies and one police academy, of which 7 are traditional universities , 4 technical universities, 3 art and music academies, one university of economics, one of veterinary medicine, and one agricultural university.

All higher education institutions have the same legal standing and social function. They provide not only higher education, but also research and artistic activities.

At the moment, all higher education institutions are state-maintained despite the fact that according to the 1996 Amendment of the Higher Education Act non-state higher education institutions also can be established.

Higher education institutions have the exclusive right to award academic degrees. On the basis of the Higher Education Act of No.172/1990, they provide education at three levels.

a) the study leading to the Bachelor's degree, which is a comprehensive part of higher education studies; it lasts not less than three years. After completing the Bachelor's study, the higher education study may be further pursued according to letter b) and lasts not less than one year,

b) the study leading to the Magister's and Engineer's degrees, which last not less than four years, and doctor's studies in the fields of medicine and veterinary science, which last six years,

c) the Ph.D. study that is a form of scientific education or artistic education; it takes three years in a full-time form, and five years in a part-time form.

Higher education studies shall be completed according to individual types as follows:

a) the Bachelor's study by passing a state examination; a part of the state examination is the defense of a final thesis if stipulated by the statute of the faculty or the statute of the higher education institution which is not divided into faculties.

b) the Magister's study, Engineer's study and doctor's studies by passing state examinations; if stipulated by the statute of the faculty (in case of higher education institutions not divided into faculties, by the statute of the higher education institution), the state examinations shall also include the defense of a thesis.

c) the Ph.D. study after completing a dissertation examination through the defense of a dissertation.

The diploma thesis and state examination are to show the student's ability to work creatively in the field of study he pursued. The dissertation examination and the defense of a dissertation are to show that the Ph.D. student has the ability to carry on independent scientific work or the ability to create an excellent technical work or work of art, or to show a high-level artistic performance.

Higher education institutions award the graduates the following degrees :

a) in Bachelor's study, the degree of "bakalár" (abbr. "Bc."),

b) in Magister's studies, the academic degree of "magister" (abbr. "Mgr."), in the fields of art, the academic degree of "magister umenia" (abbr. "Mgr. art."),

c) in technical, agricultural and economic fields of Engineer's studies, the academic degree of "inzinier" (abbr. "Ing."), and in the fields of architecture and town-planning, the academic degree of "inzinier architekt" (abbr. "Ing. arch."),

Graduates of the fields of study in which the academic degree of "Magister" is awarded, may take examina rigorosa, which also includes the defence of a dissertation. Upon successfully completing it, higher education institutions shall award to the students the following academic degrees:

a) in natural sciences, the degree of "doktor prírodných vied " (abbr. " RNDr."),

b) in pharmacy, the degree of "doktor farmácie " (abbr. "PharmDr."),

c) in the humanities and art, the degree of "doktor filozofie" (abbr. "PhDr."),

d) in law and security courses with legal concentrations, the degree of "doktor práv" (abbr. "JUDr."),

e) in teacher training and sports, the degree of "doktor pedagogiky" (abbr. "PaedDr."),

f) in theology, the degree of "doktor teológie" (abbr. "ThDr.").

Ph.D. study

Ph.D. study is the highest form of higher education. The aim of Ph.D. study is to prepare the Ph.D. students for independent creative scientific-research work or excellent work of art by acquiring comprehensive theoretical knowledge and mastering the methods of scientific or artistic work demonstrating them in a given scientific (artistic) project, thus providing the Ph.D. student with the highest degree of higher education in the respective scientific discipline or field of art.

PhD. study also may be organized by external educational institution. It is a scientific workplace of the Slovak Academy of Sciences or other institution of science, education, research, technology or art that is vested, by the Ministry of Education and upon the proposal or statement by the Accreditation Commission, with the right to provide Ph.D. study at least in one scientific discipline or field of art.

Faculties or higher education institutions, in case the higher education institution is not divided into faculties, award to the graduates of Ph.D. studies in the scientific disciplines the degree of "philosophiae doctor" (abbr. "PhD."), and to the graduates of Ph.D. studies in the fields of art, the degree of "artis doctor" (abbr. "ArtD."). The scientific-academic and artistic-academic degrees are shown in abbreviation after the candidate's name.

Academic year

The academic year starts on September 1st of the current year and it ends on August 31st of the next year. It consists of 2 semesters (winter and summer) with two respective examination sessions after each semester. The organization of the academic year is defined by the statute of the faculty or the statute of the higher education institution, in the case the university is not divided into faculties.

ABOUT ENIC       HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM      SYSTEM OF NATIONAL EDUCATION      ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION      LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK       CREDENTIAL EVALUATION

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