The Republic of North Macedonia has been a full member of the Bologna Process / European Higher Education Area since 2003 (initially as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
Implementation of the Bologna principles through creation a European Higher Education Area in order to increase the employment and mobility of citizens and increase the international competitiveness of European higher education is ensured in the legal documents and strategic papers. The main goals of the Bologna process are adopted:
- National Qualification Framework compatible with European Qualification Framework that ensure easy readable and compatible degrees, (see National Qualification Framework of North Macedonia).
- Diploma Supplement;
- Three cycle system;
- ECTS system;
- Promoting mobility for students, academic and administrative staff through “Mobility windows” in the study programs;
- Promoting European cooperation in quality assurance to develop comparable criteria and methodologies etc.
The Law on Higher Education of Republic of North Macedonia (Official Gazette No. 82 from 08.05.2018) is in Macedonian only and can be found on the Law of Higher Education in North Macedonia.
The responsible Ministry for Education and Science has adopted the National Education Strategy and Action plan (2018-2025). The trends of development of the education (including Higher education development) is presented in the on the English version of the full document on the following National Education Strategy and Action Plan.
The higher education study programs are divided into three cycles, i.e.,
• First cycle academic studies (undergraduate studies) or vocational studies;
• Second cycle academic studies (postgraduate studies) or vocational studies;
• Third cycle academic studies (doctoral studies).
There are also vocational (undergraduate and postgraduate) as well as short vocational studies. Certain study programs can be integrated into the first and second cycle. Each cycle of studies must be in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System and Credit Accumulation (ECTS), according to which, for one year,60 ECTS credits are obtained.
First cycle academic studies (undergraduate studies) lasts three or four years acquiring 180 and 240 ECTS credits respectively.
Second cycle of academic studies (postgraduate studies) organized as studies that last one or two years, acquiring 60 or 120 ECTS credits respectively. The total number of credits acquired at the undergraduate and postgraduate academic studies amount to at least 300 ECTS credits.
Third cycle of academic studies ( doctoral studies) last at least three years and acquire at least 180 ECTS credits, and after the mandatory-public defense of the doctoral thesis, the candidate acquires the scientific title Doctor of Science (dr.sc, Ph.D.), i.e. doctor of art (dr.art). Besides the preconditions in terms of acquiring at least 300 ECTS credits from the first and the second cycle of studies combined, some universities may also set other preconditions for admission to doctoral studies. The University may organize third-cycle studies of less than three years, which acquire the title of a specialist in a specific area (Spec.).
Vocational or professional studiesVocational studies are conducted at the University and the independent higher vocational school. Vocational studies in the first cycle last three years, and by their completion, 180 ECTS are acquired. Within the first cycle of vocational studies, short vocational study programs with 60 to 120 ECTS credits can be realized. Secondary cycle studies are organized as studies lasting one year and 60 ECTS credits are awarded upon completion.
The Law on HE envisages complete autonomy of the Universities in terms of management, finance, personnel or academic programmes' content. The Ministry of Education and Science monitors the work of the Universities (Public or private). There are regular or on-demand controls of the entire work of the University conducted by the Inspectorate for Education (as a unit within the Ministry).
The Universities have full management autonomy in terms of planning and realization of higher education activity; establishment of the internal organisation and adoption of the University statute and other bylaws; management and use of the property; appointment and revocation of the management individuals and bodies. Thus, the highest University body is Senate that appointing the Rector of the University, while the highest faculty body is Teaching-academic council that is electing the Dean whose mandate is verified by the Rector.
Financial autonomyAlthough most of the funding for Public Universities comes from State Budget and is clearly earmarked for certain purposes. The Public Universities independently dispose of with the funds gained from students’ participation fees (for undergraduate studies) and tuition fees from postgraduate and doctoral studies ( or any other source of revenue due to their participation in various research projects and studies). However, the Ministry of Education and Science determines the number of the students and tuition fees allowed to enroll at each public University’s faculties (departments). Private higher education institutions independently dispose of their revenues in a manner determined by their Statute.
Academic programme content autonomyAcademic programme content autonomy of the Universities are recognized through their freedom to create the content of their courses, to select their courses’ literature, the language of teaching, selection of clinical teachers as well as a selection of lecturing methods and tools. However, the Law on HE prescribes that the study programs of the third cycle of studies can be organized only by universities that are among the top seven universities, registered in the Register of Higher Education in the country.
The Law on High Education prescribes no preconditions for the eligibility of the mentor for graduate studies while envisaging that only associate and full-time professors who have published at least six scientific papers in referent international scientific publications are eligible to be the mentors for doctoral studies. All academic programmes are approved by the Accreditation Body Committees, composed by full professors (experts in the related field of science).