10 - Lithuania - Branches of study, specialisation
The system of studies comprises consecutive university and non-university studies at higher
educational institutions according to study programmes included into the Study and Training
Programme Register, and also non-consecutive studies. The classification of the university and nonuniversity
fields and branches of study, according to which consecutive studies are provided, is subject
to the Government approval.
The procedure of introducing or discontinuing of study branches in HEIs
is established by the Ministry of Education and Science, on familiarizing itself with the
recommendations of the Science Council of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Rectors’ Conference, the
Lithuanian Conference of College Directors and the conclusions of the Council for Higher Education.
Students in higher education can follow full-time (daytime), part-time (or evening) and extramural (or
distance) courses. The specific forms of undergraduate and integrated study branch are established by
the respective study field guidelines.
The scope and duration of undergraduate and integrated studies are also established by the guidelines
on study fields. Study field guidelines determine the common requirements for all study programmes in
this field. The guidelines also lay down the general requirements for all the study programmes of the
field: the ratio between the groups of subjects taught – the fundamentals in the field of social and
humanitarian sciences (or natural sciences and mathematic sand informatics) or art and special
subjects in a branch of science or art; general requirement of developing students’ practical skills; key
qualification requirements for the academic and professional staff.
The average scope of a one-year full-time study programme is 40 credits. The scope of university
undergraduate studies is no less than 140 credits and no more than 180 credits while the scope of
non-university undergraduate studies is no less than 120 credits and not more than 160. The scope of
Master’s qualification awarding integrated studies is at least 200 credits and does not exceed 240
credits except for the field of medical studies, whose scope does not exceed 280 credits. The scope of
Master’s degree study programmes is no less than 60 credits and not more than 80 credits. The
duration of doctoral studies is not longer than four years and postgraduate art programmes last no
longer than two years.
A higher education institution is required to have academic and professional staff in compliance with
the qualification established by the Guidelines, classrooms, laboratories, a library, teaching and
information aids and materials necessary for the implementation of respective programmes.
University
Universities provide programmes in 60 branches of undergraduate (Bachelor) and second stage
(Master) studies grouped into six fields: the humanities, art, social sciences, natural sciences,
biomedicine sciences, and technological sciences. Some medical specialists follow integrated
programmes. In some fields integrated study programmes are provided too.
Postgraduate art studies Meno aspirantūra offer programmes in five branches: architecture,
audiovisual art, music, fine arts and the theatre.
Doctoral study programmes are run in five fields of science: the humanities, exact (six branches),
social (seven branches), physical (seven branches), biomedicine (twelve branches) and technological
sciences (ten branches).
College
According to the content of studies and the qualifications awarded, all undergraduate study
programmes in colleges Kolegija fall into six fields of study: the humanities, art, social, physical,
biomedicine, and technological sciences, which offer programmes in 35 branches.
Institutions:
Lithuanian Council of Science
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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