The legislation of Ukraine on higher education is based on the Constitution of Ukraine and consists of the Law of Ukraine "On education", "On scientific and scientific and technological activity", "On higher education" and other regulatory acts and international treaties of Ukraine, concluded according to the procedure prescribed by the law.

If the international treaties of Ukraine ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine define the rules other than those stipulated by the national legislation, the rules of international treaties shall apply.

The rights of a higher education institution which define its autonomy and which are set out by the law "On higher education" cannot be restricted by other laws or regulatory acts.

Foreigners and stateless persons may get higher education at the cost of individuals (legal persons), unless otherwise provided by international treaties of Ukraine ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, laws or agreements between higher education institutions on international academic mobility.

All persons getting higher education at higher education institutions have equal rights and obligations.

Training of specialists with higher education shall be carried out by the relevant educational and professional, educational and scientific as well as scientific programmes at the following levels of higher education:

•  primary level (short cycle) of higher education;
•  first (bachelor) level;
•  second (master) level;
•  third (education and scientific) level;
•  scientific level.

Getting higher education at every level of higher education provides for the successful completion of the relevant educational (educational and professional or educational and scientific) programme or the scientific one which is the basis for awarding the relevant degree of higher education:

    1)    Junior Bachelor;

    2)   Bachelor;

    3)   Master;

    4)   Doctor of Philosophy;

    5)   Doctor of Science.

    Junior Bachelor is an educational and professional degree that is acquired at the primary level (short eye of higher education and is awarded by a higher educatk institution to a degree-seeking student after successi completion of the educational and professional programme the scope of which is 90-120 ECTS credits

A person has the right to get Junior Bachelors deg provided that he/she has got complete seconda education.

    Bachelor is an educational degree that is acquired at the first level of higher education and is award by a higher education institution to a degree-seek student after successful completion of the educational and professional programme the scope of which is 180-240 ECTS credits. The scope of the educational and professional programme for getting bachelor's degree based on the Junior Bachelor degree is defined by higher education institution.

A person has the right to get Bachelor’s degree provided that he/she has got complete secondary education.

    Master is an educational degree that is acquired at the second level of higher education and is awarded by a higher education institution to a degree-seeking student after successful completion of the relevant educational programme. The Master's degree is acquired according to  educational and professional  or  educational-and-scientific programmes. The scope of educational and professional Master's training programme makes 90-120 ECTS credits, whereas the scope of educational and scientific programme makes up 120 ECTS credits. Master's educational-and-scientific programme must include research (scientific) component of no less than 30 percent.    

A person has the right to acquire Master's degree provided that he/she has a Bachelor's degree.

Master's   degree   in   medical,   pharmaceutical veterinary area is acquired on the basis of complete secondary education and is awarded by a higher education institution to a degree-seeking student according to the relevant educational programme, the scope of which is 300-360 ECTS credits.

     Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is an educational and at the same time the first academic degree which is acquirerd at the third level of higher education based on the Master's degree. Ph.D. degree is awarded by a specialized Academic Board of a higher education institution or research  institution as a result of the successful completion by a degree-seeking student of the relevant educational-and-scientific programme and public defense of the thesis at the specialized Academic Board.

A person has the right to acquire Ph.D. while studying at the graduate training (military postgraduate training). All persons who are professionally engaged in scientific, scientific-and-technological or scientific and pedagogical activity at the main place of work are eligible to get a Ph.D. degree out of graduate study, especially while being in sabbatical, subject to the successful completion of relevant educational-and-scientific programme and public defense of the thesis at the specialized Academic Board.

Academic institutions can train Doctors of Philosophy  based on its own educational-and-scientific programme according to the obtained license to the relevant educational activities. The academic institutions may also train Ph.D. according to the educational-and-scientific programmes agreed by the Higher Education Institution. In this case the scientific component of such programme shall be carried out in the academic institution and the educational one - in the Higher Education Institution.

        Doctor of Science is the second degree which is acquired by a person on a scientific level of higher education based on the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and provides the acquisition of the highest competences in the area of development and implementation of the research methodology, carrying-out original research, obtaining scientific results which assure solution of an important theoretical or application problems, which are of national or global significance and are published in  scientific journals.

Ph.D. is awarded by the specialized Academic Board of the Higher Education Institution or academic institution based on the results of public defense of scientific achievements in the form of a thesis or published monograph, or based on the aggregate of articles published in national and international peer-reviewed professional journals the list of which is approved by the central executive authority in education and science.

The document on higher education (academic degree) is issued to a person who successfully completed the appropriate educational (academic) programme and has been certified.

The following types of documents on higher education (degrees) by the appropriate degrees are set up:

•       Junior Bachelor's degree;

•       Bachelor's degree;

•       Masters degree;

•       Doctor of Philosophy degree;

•       Doctor of Science degree.

The diploma of a Junior Bachelor, Bachelor and Master specifies the name of the university having issued the document (in case of higher education acquired in a standalone unit of the higher education institution, the name of such unit is also specified) as well as qualification, consisting of information on gained degree of higher education, profession and specialization, as well as professional qualification in some cases.

The diploma of a Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Science specifies name of the higher education institution (academic institution) where the training was carried out, name of the higher education institution (academic institution) to the specialized academic board of which the scientific achievements were presented and the name of the qualification consisting of information on the degree acquired by a person, subject area and/or profession.

The name of the qualification specifies the Ph.D. degree and subject area (Ph.D. in biology, etc.). If the thesis research is done in related fields of study, the degree of a Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Sciences shall be awarded in the main field indicating the multisectoral nature of the study.

An integral part of the diploma of Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. is the annex to the diploma according to the European model containing structured information about completed training. The annex to the diploma contains information on the results of training, which consists of information about the names of subjects, grades and gained number of ECTS credits, as well as information on the national higher education system of Ukraine.

An integral part of the Junior Bachelor's diploma is the annex to the diploma.

The state-recognized document on higher education is issued by a higher education institution only under accredited educational programme. As for unaccredited educational programme, higher education institutions produce and publish their own documents on higher education in the manner and according to the model defined by the academic board of a higher education institution.

State-recognized documents on higher education for persons studying under the government order shall be produced by higher education institutions and issued at the cost of the state budget; whereas for persons studying at the cost of indivi individuals or legal entities the cost of documents on higher education is included in the tuition. The limiting cost of state-recognized documents on higher education and the list of information that should be included in the document on higher education shall be defined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

In the case if the person is getting higher education according to the educational programmes agreed between higher education institutions, including foreign ones, such institutions have the right to produce and issue common diplomas according to the model defined by a joint decision of academic boards of such higher education institutions.

In case a person is getting higher education simultaneously under two professions (specializations), a higher education institution has the right to produce and publish a double diploma according to the model defined by the academic board of such a higher education institution.

All information on issued diplomas shall be incorporated by higher education institutions, except higher military educational institutions, in the Single State Electronic Database on Education.

The management in higher education area within the defined powers is carried out by:

    1)    Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;

   2)   central executive body in the area of education and science;

   3)   sectoral public bodies higher education institutions are reporting to;

   5)     National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and national sectoral academies of sciences;    

   6)        founders of higher education institutions;

   7)   local authorities in the area of higher education and science;

   8)   National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education.

    There are the following types of higher education institutions in Ukraine:

     1) university - a multidisciplinary (classical, technical) or sectoral (profile, technological, pedagogical, physical education and sport, liberal arts, theology/theological, medical, economic, legal, pharmaceutical, agricultural, artistic, cultural, etc.) higher education institution implementing innovative educational activities at the different levels of higher education (including Ph.D.), carrying-out basic and/or applied research, which is a leading scientific and methodical center, has a developed infrastructure of educational, scientific and industrial units, promotes scientific knowledge and carries out cultural and educational activities;

    2)  academy, institute - a sectoral (profile, technological, technical, pedagogical, theological/theological, medical, economic, legal, pharmaceutical, agricultural, artistic, cultural, etc.) higher education institution implementing innovative educational activities related to the provision of higher education at the first and second levels by one or more branches of knowledge, which may provide training at the third and higher scientific levels of higher education for certain professions, which carries out basic and/or applied researches, is a leading scienific and methodical center, has a developed infrastructure of educational, scientific and industrial units, promotes scientific knowledge and carries out cultural and educational activities;

    3)  college - a sectoral higher education institution or a structural department of the university, academy or institute that carries out educational activities related to a Junior Bachelor's and/or Bachelor's degree and carries out applied researches. The college also has the right to train specialists at the educational-and-qualification level of a junior specialist.

Information about the college which is a structural unit of the university, academy or institute shall be included in the Single State Electronic Database on Education.

According to the State Statistics Service, at the beginning of academic year 2014-2015 the network of higher education institutions in Ukraine numbers 664 higher education institutions of all accreditation levels and forms of ownership, including 277 higher education institutions of the III-IV accreditation levels and 387 institutions of the I-II accreditation levels. The number of students in higher education institutions makes up 251.3 thousand in higher education institutions of  the I-II accreditation levels and 1438.0 thousand in higer education institutions of the III-IV accreditation levels.

Procedure for organizing recruitment and training (internship) of foreigners and stateless persons

1. This procedure specifies the peculiarities in the organization of recruitment and training (internship) of foreigners and stateless persons (hereinafter referred to as - foreigners) at higher education institutions (hereinafter referred to as institutions) irrespective of  their subordination and ownership that provide educational services to foreigners according to a license for carrying out educational activities in higher education area obtained according to agreed procedure.

2. This  procedure  does  not  apply  to  foreigners permanently residing in Ukraine on a legal basis and having the right to go to educational institutions on conditions specified by the law, as well as to refugees and persons in need of extra protection.

3. Training for foreigners is made as intramural (in-class) and extramural (distance) form of learning.

4. Organization of the foreigners recruitment to training is made by:

1.  educational institutions;
2.  a public enterprise authorized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as an authorized public enterprise), and other business entities (residents and nonresidents) on the basis of agreements concluded with educational institutions to provide a set of services for foreigners as candidates for training;
   

  5. Educational institutions which have concluded agreements with business entities on the provision of recruitment services for foreigners as candidates for training, within five working days after the said agreement came into force shall provide the authorized state company with information on agreements concluded in electronic way in order to keep records on the business entities carrying out activity related to the recruitment of foreigners to study in Ukraine, and in order to consolidate the information on the status of educational services provided to foreigners.

6. Foreigners   shall   be   enrolled   to   educational institutions:

•      twice a year at the beginning of the academic semesters to obtain a certain degree of higher education according to accredited educational programmes - based on evaluation of documents submitted under subclauses 2 and 3, clause 8 of this Procedure and interview conducted by the Admission committee concerning the disciplines defined hereby and training language;
•      during the academic year in order to get preparatory training and for postgraduate education (advanced training, internships) - based on the decision of the Admission Committee following the evaluation of the documents submitted under the clause 8 of this procedure;
•     during the academic year in order to get training under academic mobility programmes according to the Regulation on the realization of the right to academic mobility;
•     for graduate study, doctoral study - according to the Regulations on the training of scientific-and-pedagogical as well as academic staff, No. 309 approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on March 1, 1999.

The order on the enrollment issued by the decision of the Admission Committee shall be incorporated ectronically to a Single State Electronic Database on Education.

7. The foreigners, for whom the Admission Committee of an educational institution has defined the need for language training for further successful learning, may get such training at the preparatory trainings of the educational institutions provided that they have completed secondary education abroad.

The order of enrollment (expulsion) of a foreigner to/from preparatory training in electronic form must be entered to the Single State Electronic Database on Education.

8. To be admitted to the institution a foreigner shall submit the following documents:

•  application;
• a document (original) and a copy of the acquired educational        (educational-and-qualification) degree, based on which the admission shall be made (academic certificate if necessary/required);
• for admission to study for a Master's Degree or under postgraduate educational programmes additionally there should be submitted an original and a copy of the document containing information about the content of the curriculum upon the previous degree of higher education, gained credits/duration of training and the success in academic disciplines;
• medical certificate on health condition, certified by the official health authority of the country the foreigner is from.
• copy of the passport of the foreigner or the document certifying the identity of the stateless person;
• a valid medical insurance policy (except for foreigners who came from countries with which agreements on free provision of emergency medical assistance are concluded);
•  6 photos 30 x 40 mm;
•  copy of certificate of abroad Ukrainian (if any); Foreigners going to the graduate studies  also submit a report on chosen scientific specialty or the list of published scientific works and inventions officially certified at the candidates place of work/training.
  

• thematic plan of the thesis for a scientific degree "Doctor of Science";
• copy of the diploma awarding the appropriate degree. Documents referred to in subclauses 2-5 of this clause should be translated into Ukrainian with notary (consular) certification of the translation.

 The documents referred to in subclauses 2 and 3 of this clause must be certified in the country of issue in a manner that is officially used in this country for such certification, and legalized by a relevant overseas institution of Ukraine, unless otherwise provided by the international treaties of Ukraine. This requirement does not apply to documents of the foreigners coming to study under academic mobility programmes.

9. Education of foreigners under preparatory training is carried out according to training programmes developed by the educational institution.

  10. After successful completion of the preparatory training a foreigner gets a certificate according to the model specified in the annex to this procedure.

   11. The admission of foreigners to study under international treaties of Ukraine and state programmes shall be carried out under the assignment of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in the manner prescribed by these treaties and programmes.

If the foreigners who will study under international treaties and state programmes require a language training to obtain a certain degree of higher education, for graduate studies, doctoral studies, in order to get postgraduate education, they receive such training at the preparatory departments of the educational institutions they are assigned to by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Training at the preparatory departments is carried out under a contract concluded between the foreigner and the educational institution.

12. The foreigners enrolled for studies will be provided with a student ID according to the standard specified by the law.

13.Expulsions, study interruption and resumption, transfer of foreigners shall be carried out in accordance with the legislation on the basis of the order issued by the educational institution.

14. Payment of educational services provided by the educational institutions for foreigners shall be carried out under agreements (contracts) at the cost of individuals or legal persons, unless otherwise provided by the international treaties of Ukraine, laws or agreements between universities on international academic activities.

15. Documents on education of foreigners enrolled for studies issued by Educational institutions of other states shall undergo the process of recognition in Ukraine under the law.

According to the result of the recognition procedure the institution decides on continuation of the studies by a foreigner from the level corresponding to the results of the recognition procedure, or on the foreigner s expulsion.

In case of inauthenticity of the document provided concerning the acquired education level the institution shall expel such a foreigner.

16. Educational institutions that provide educational services to foreigners ensure timely submission of documents to regional agencies or departments of the State Migration Service of Ukraine for the issue of temporary residence permits for foreigners enrolled for studies in accordance with legislation for the whole period of study.

Periods of study for foreign students shall be set out by a separate order of the educational institution in accordance with the duration of the educational (academic) programmes, and also include the period required for official certification of documents obtainde after completion of a training under educational (scientific) programme or for going to the next level of education.

 17. The institution is obliged within 10 days to inform the territorial authority or the department if the State Migration Service of Ukraine at the foreigners place of residence about foreigners who were expelled i educational institution on the grounds under clauses 2 - 6, part 1, Article 46 of the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education", as well as foreigners who stopped  training without valid reasons or disappeared from the place of residence.

 The procedure for the issuance of invitations to training (internship) in Ukraine for foreigners and stateless persons and their registration

 1. This procedure defines the mechanism for the issuance of invitations to training (internship) in Ukraine to foreigners and stateless persons (hereinafter referred to as foreigners) by higher education institutions (hereinafter referred to as institution), regardles of theier subordination and ownership.

 2. The invitations shall be issued by educational institutions having the license to train foreigners under accredited educational and professional/educational and scientific programmes. Invitations shall be issued to foreigners on whom the institution gives consent for admission to training to get the appropriate degree of higher education, for a postgraduate education, advanced training, internships, graduate studies, doctoral studies and preparatory studies regardless of the country the Foreigner is from, as well as terms and forms of education.

 3. The invitation shall be issued by the institution in which the foreigner will be getting a higher education degree, postgraduate education, holding internships, training or will have graduate or doctoral studies.

The invitation to the preparatory study shall be issued to foreigners who plan to master only teaching material under training programme for foreigners and stateless persons for admission to the higher educational institutions or under language training programme.

 4. Educational institutions shall issue invitations for training:

• to Foreigners who are invited to a training programme lasting 90 days or more – in the form established by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine;
•  to foreigners who are invited for short-term training programmes up to 90 days, as well as to foreigners - students of extramural (distance) form of learning to participate in the sessions – on the official letterhead of the institution.

•  copy of the passport or other identification document;
•  a copy of the document about acquired level of education with results by discipline           (scores) or academic certificate;
• a written consent to the processing of personal data;

    If necessary the educational institution shall determine the list of additional documents, as well as requirement for translation of documents into Ukrainian.

    To register the invitations to foreigners who will study under international treaties and government programmes, as well as under the programmes of international   academic   mobility, agreements of international cooperation between the institutions, the authorized public enterprise together with the filled-in invitation form will be also provided, in electronic way, an electronic copy of the letter of explanation of the institution about the said grounds for foreigners training and electronic copies of documents according to the clause 7 hereof.

The institution shall send the original invitation registered in the electronic journal to the Foreigner or to a person authorized by such a foreigner in order to complete the entry of foreigners to Ukraine for training purpose.

   12.The invitation shall be filled by the educational institution in Ukrainian and English in printed form.

    13. The invitation is valid up to six months from the date of issue.

The validity of the invitation is set out by the institution subject to the conditions of admission to higher education institutions of Ukraine approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the duration of appropriate educational-and-professional, educational-and-scientific, scientific programmes.