15 - Slovakia - Certification

Certification - Higher Professional Education

In accordance with the Decree No. 97/1994 of the Law Code the higher professional education is completed by a graduate’s examination and by granting absolutorium. The document on its completion is a graduate’s diploma (absolventský diplom).

Certification - Bachelor's Study

The Bachelor’s study program as the first level program is completed by the state examination before an examination board. A part of the state examination is the defence of a Bachelor thesis, if set up by the statute of the faculty or the statute of the higher education institution which is not divided into faculties.

The graduates of Bachelor’s study are issued diplomas indicating the study branches, academic degree and a certificate on the state examination. The higher education institutions award the academic degree of Bachelor (Bc.) to the graduates of Bachelor’s study.

Certification - Magister’s Study, Engineer’s Study and Doctor’s Study

The Magister’s study, Engineer’s study and Doctor's study are completed by state examination before an examination commission. The state examination includes the defence of a thesis if set up by the statute of the higher education institution or the faculty. The state examination consists of 3-4 subjects. In case of failure at the state examination the student has the right to re-sit. Each part of the state examination is assessed separately. The overall evaluation of study (in dependency upon results of the overall study and results of the state examination) is evaluated in two grades "he/she passed with honours" and "he/she passed".

The higher education institutions award the following academic degrees to their graduates:
  • in Magister’s study, the degree of "magister" (Mgr.); in artistic study programmes, the degree of "magister umenia" (Mgr. art.);
  • in Engineer's study, the degree of "inžinier" (Ing.); the degree of "inžinier architekt" (Ing. arch.) in the study programmes of architecture and town planning;
  • in Doctor's study of the study programmes of humane medicine the degree of "doktor všeobecného lekárstva" (MUDr.), "doktor zubného lekárstva" (MDDr.) in the study programmes of dentistry; and the degree of "doktor veterinárskej medicíny" (MVDr.) in the study programmes of veterinary medicine.
The graduates of Magister’s study (Mgr.) who completed the examina rigorosaa part of which is the defence of a thesis, are awarded the diploma, showing the branch of study completed and the academic degree:
  • in the study programmes of natural sciences "doktor prírodných vied" (RNDr.)
  • in the study programmes of pharmacy "doktor farmácie" (PharmDr.)
  • in the study programmes of the humanities and art disciplines "doktor filozofie" (PhDr.)
  • in the study programmes of law and security with juridical concentration "doktor práv" (JUDr.)
  • in teacher training with study programmes of education and sports "doktor pedagogiky" (PaedDr.)
  • in theological study programmes except for Catholic theology "doktor teológie" (ThDr.).
Certification - Ph.D Study

The Ph.D. study is finished by the defence of a dissertation thesis after completing dissertation examination.

The graduates of the Ph.D. study are issued diplomas showing the name of the higher education institution, faculty, study field and study programme; in case the PhD study took place in the external educational institution, also the name of the latter. The graduates of Ph.D. study are awarded the academic degree of "doktor" ("philosophiae doctor") abbr. Ph.D. and in artistic PhD study programmes the academic degree of "doktor umenia" ("artis doctor") abbr. ArtD. After the initial comprehensive part of PhD study the PhD graduates in the field of Catholic Theology are awarded the academic degree of "licenciát teológie" (abbr. ThLic.). The graduates of PhD study in these areas are also awarded the academic degree of "doctor teológie" (abbr. ThDr.).

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Date: 2009
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