14 - Lithuania - Progression of students
Under the Law on Higher Education, HEIs are granted the right to establish the rules and procedures
themselves, therefore, progression of students as well as their assessment is administered in
accordance with the guidelines (regulations) of each individual higher education institution. As a rule,
at the end of each semester students take credit tests and account for their practical work. Each study
subject is completed by an exam or the assessment of a project carried out by the student
independently. Some higher education establishments require that students present a term paper
(project) at the end of the year.
The Law on Higher Education stipulates that students who have not passed an examination/credit test
or have otherwise failed to account for the subjects in the study programme are granted the right to resit
the examination/credit test free of charge in compliance with the procedure established by the HEI,
which takes due account of the recommendations of the students representations. This provision does
not apply in the HEIs which have introduced, with the approval of the students’ representation, a
cumulative assessment system. In the case of failing to meet the requirements of the study
programme, students can be expelled from the higher education institution.
Students in consecutive study programmes (of all three stages) who because of an illness or
pregnancy/child care are unable to continue their studies are granted, upon submission of the
necessary documents proving the case, an academic leave of absence.
To be registered for a higher semester a student must have accumulated not less than 20 credits and
accounted for all the study modules indicated in the study plan. Otherwise, he/she can repeatedly (but
not more than twice) register for the same semester. Having accumulated 40 credits during a study
year, a student secures direct admission to a higher year of study.
Not more than two semesters can be repeated in Bachelor studies and only one semester in the
Master studies. Only students paying a full price of studies are allowed to repeat more semesters or
take courses in the same semester for the third time.
Failed credits and exams not passed during the scheduled or extended examination session are
deemed student’s academic arrears. Students are allowed to clear them within the time established by
the HEI. On the expiration of the term for re-take exams (credits), the Dean of the faculty can grant
permission for a student in one or two academic arrears to repeat the course in respective subjects
and continue in the programme, in which case the re-taking of arrears examinations is postponed for
one year. Faculty councils decide upon academic subjects the study of which cannot be followed
repeatedly. Students repeating a subject course are deemed to be in arrears and have to pay for the
studies of courses taken repeatedly and the new courses due to the differences between the
programmes. The time given to re-sit arrear examinations (credits) having expired, students having
more than two academic arrears, also students having one or two academic arrears who were not
granted permission to repeat the course are expelled from the university.
Students are granted permission to defend their graduation thesis and/or sit their final examination only
after they have met all the other requirements of the study programme. Graduation theses are
defended and final examinations are taken during the winter or spring examination session. A special
commission is set up on the order of the Dean of the faculty, which is subject to Rector’s (college
director’s) approval.
Students who have failed, without good reason, to submit their graduation thesis within the established
time as well as students who have failed to appear at the time and place of the scheduled thesis
defense or examination, as well as students who have failed the examination or the graduation thesis
may be allowed, on the order of the faculty dean/head of the study centre a re-sit of the examination or
a repeat of a defense not earlier than one year after the first sitting/defense.
To ensure their steady progress, doctoral students undergo an annual review. In the case of an
unsatisfactory review, they can be dismissed from the doctoral programme. If doctoral students do not
meet the deadlines for the preparation or defense of the thesis disertacija, they can do it externally.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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