“Qualifications Framework in Higher Education of Ukraine”

Materials

to the speech of the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, “Development a national qualifications framework in higher education in Ukraine" at an informal conference of education ministers from six countries of the Bologna Process (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine) and the three observer countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) with the support of the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, Yerevan, September 8-9, 2008/

Speaker from Ukraine Ivan Babyn

Ukraine’s joining Bologna process influenced essentially on the goals and content of the higher education system of Ukraine.

As important benchmarks of its development there came to the forefront tasks of harmonization of the national system of education in line with the principles of creation of the EHEA

Development of the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework will provide:

- mutual recognition of educational documents at the European and international levels

- Introduction of the Diploma Supplement of the European format

- Promotion of student and academic staff mobility

- Competitiveness of HE graduates on the national and international labour markets and provision of education of high quality

Goals of the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework: - to describe interrelation among qualifications that exist in the country and identification of learning paths- to make existing qualifications/degree profiles easily understandable for students, parents, employers, and academic staff- to assist higher educational institutions in creation of new educational programs as well as upgrading existing ones-to support higher education quality assurance system-to support international compatibility and comparability and facilitate recognition of academic degrees- to describe constantly changing demands of society towards education system and to promote description of appropriate, constantly renewable qualifications;- to support lifelong learning practices

The structure of the system of education in Ukraine at present.

Structure of Education

Levels of Education

Education institutions

Education and qualification

levels

Period of studies

Educational document

Higher education

Non-complete Higher Education

Vocational school, College

Junior Specialist 3 years

Diploma of junior

specialist

Basic Higher Education Institute Bachelor 4 years

Bachelor’s diploma

Complete Higher Education

University, Academy

Specialist +1 year D. of Specialist

Master +1.5 year Master’s diploma

Structure of Education Levels of Education

Education institutions

Scientific degree

Period of

studies

Educational

document

Postgraduate Education   Higher Education Institution      

Postgraduate Scientific Qualification Program   Higher Education

Institution Candidate of Science    

Highest Scientific Qualification Program   Higher Education

Institution Doctor of Science    

Postgraduate Education

Higher Education Qualifications Framework of Ukraine

Modernization of the structure of the system of education in Ukraine in accordance with the EHEA requirements

Cycle LevelQualification

titleECTS

Type of a

document that

confirms

qualification

HEI that awards qualification

ІІІ cycleDoctoral program

V Doctor Doctor’s diplomaUniversity,academy

II Cycle

Master’s

program

ІV Master 60-120 Master’s diplomaUniversity,academy

І cycle

Bachelor’s

programIIІ Bachelor 180-240

Bachelor’s diploma

Institute, college within the

structure of University

Short cycle within I cycleProfessional

higher

education

ІІ Specialist 120Specialist,Diploma of

Higher EducationCollege

IJunior

Specialist60

Junior Specialist,Certificate of

Higher EducationCollege

Present academic/ scientific degrees (before reform)

Equivalent(after reform)

Doctor of Science degree Doctor’s degree

Candidate of Science degreeDoctor’s degree

Specialist (5-6 років) Master’s degree

Specialist (4 роки) Bachelor’s degree

Junior Specialist(not less than 2 years)

Specialist, Diploma of Higher Education

Junior Specialist(not less than 1 year)

Junior Specialist, Certificate of Higher Education

Placement of qualifications in qualifications framework

Basic educational problems the country faces at present:

-development of principles, mechanisms and procedures of the introduction of doctoral study as Bologna cycle III

-employment of bachelors - graduates of the first cycle

-creation of the quality assurance system for higher education, which would correspond to the European standards and norms

-provision the student and teaching staff mobility

-extension of the social partnership practice.

Methodological problems of the creation of the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework:

- securing balance between description of level requirements for qualifications and their precision, possibility of assessment and measurement, functionality of a system

- taking into account academic and professional components of qualification descriptors and their equivalency

- improvement and enhancement of the description of level requirements for qualifications based on the principle of simplicity

- taking into account differences in the national systems, the national and sectoral peculiarities