15 - Lithuania - Certification
On completion of a consecutive study programme, a person is issued a diploma diplomas of an
established form attesting to the education acquired. The diploma contains information identifying the
qualification obtained according to the list of qualifications indicated in the General Classification of
Study Fields and Areas comprising consecutive university and non-university studies provided in
Lithuanian higher education institutions Since 2006, all HEI graduates, except doctoral and art
postgraduate students, are issued with a diploma supplement, which follows the model developed by
the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES. Diploma supplements are
issued free of charge in two languages – Lithuanian and English. If a higher education institution
student has taken only separate subjects or a cycle of subjects, a certificate attesting to the fact and
indicating all the subjects taken, their scope and the results gained is issued, in accordance with the
procedure established by the HEI.
Diplomas Diplomas which are not subject to any particular recognition procedure are issued in
Lithuania by public and private HEIs operating in compliance with the laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
University
A person is deemed to have completed a university education after s/he has satisfied all the
requirements of the consecutive programme chosen. Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral degree studies
are concluded with the defense of a Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral theses. A Bachelor’s thesis is
prepared during one or two final years of the programme while the work on the preparation of a
Master’s and Doctoral theses continues throughout all the respective programme. Graduation theses
are defended in front of a special commission, usually the same for all the Bachelor’s and Master’s
theses of the same study programme. However, a separate council is set up for the defense of each
individual doctoral dissertation. The commission for the defense of Bachelor’s and Master’s theses is
comprised of researchers and scientists working in the related study area or field, most of them from
the HEI concerned. The doctoral thesis disertacija defense council must include leading scientists from
other Lithuanian or foreign higher education and science institutions. The doctoral thesis disertacija
defense is a public viva voce event; its time and place are published in advance in the media.
On the successful completion of graduate studies and the defense of a graduation thesis (the total
scope of studies comprising 160 credits), students are awarded a Bachelor’s qualification degree or a
Bachelor’s qualification degree and a professional qualification.
There still are several study
programmes on the completion of which persons are awarded only professional qualification (an
engineer, teacher or artist with a university higher education professional qualification) but admission
to these programmes has already been closed and the remaining students are doing their last year.
Persons who have acquired a Bachelor’s qualification degree or a Bachelor’s qualification degree and
a professional qualification are issued with a Bachelor’s diploma diplomas. Persons who have
completed the above first or second cycle study programmes or integrated study programmes
(medicine, veterinary medicine, law) and have obtained only professional qualification are issued with
higher education Diplomas.
On the completion of Master’s degree studies and the defencse of a Master’s graduation thesis (the
total scope of undergraduate and Master’s degree programmes comprising 240 credits) students are
awarded a Master’s qualification degree in a respective field. Universities can also award a relevant
professional qualification. Persons who have obtained a Master’s qualification degree or a Master’s
qualification degree and a professional qualification are issued with a Master’s diploma.
Persons who have completed doctoral study programmes and have submitted and defended a
doctoral thesis disertacija are awarded a Doctor of Science degree and issued with a Doctor of
Science diplomas.
Persons who have completed art postgraduate study programmes and obtained art licenciate
qualification degree are issued with an art licenciate diploma.
A diploma diplomas with distinction is awarded to graduates (Bachelor level, Master level and diplomaholding
specialists level) whose average credit assessment has been at least 9.5, whose assessment
in any module has been at least "good" and whose graduation project or qualification examination has
been assessed as "excellent" or "very good". A diploma with distinction is awarded to diploma-holding
specialists only if they had previously been awarded a Bachelor’s diploma with distinction.
College
Students who have satisfied all programme specific requirements qualify as college Kolegija
graduates. On graduation, they are awarded professional qualification and conferred higher education
diplomas.
The achievement results are assessed and qualifications are awarded by the qualification commission
set up on the college director’ order. To be awarded a professional qualification, a student must have
passed the graduation examination or defended a graduation project, or have passed a qualification
examination and defended a graduation project. Students are allowed to sit their graduation
examinations and defend their projects only after they have completed all programme specific
requirements and only at the time set in the schedule.
A Diploma of Higher Education with Distinction is conferred to students whose final grade average of
the subjects taught is not lower than 9 (very good), the final subject grades are not lower than 8 (good)
and the final study results are awarded the 10 (excellent) or 9 (very good) grades. Upon passing
special examinations, students can be issued international certificates (e.g. SPACE, ECDL).
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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