Study in Croatia

The tertiary education system in Croatia consists of two parallel tracks: academic and professional. 

Within the academic track are Universities, which offer Bachelor’s, Master’s, Integrated, and Doctoral degrees. Universities may be public or private and typically have a high degree of autonomy as regards curriculum and budget management. Croatian Universities are well respected throughout the world, and several international students flock to the postgraduate programs for high-level education and research training at a relatively low cost.

Within the professional track are vocational colleges and polytechnics. They offer three types of degrees: short-cycle professional qualifications, which last one or two years and are equivalent to post-high school diplomas in other countries. Vocational Bachelor’s degrees last three to four years, and involve extensive vocational training in one chosen discipline, along with project work and guaranteed placements upon graduation. Finally, professional graduate programs last 1-2 years; students enrolled in these courses have a vocational Bachelor’s or short-cycle degree along with multiple years of work experience.

Short-term certificate programs were introduced as a way for Croatian Universities to earn additional revenue from some of their most popular courses. They last between 2 and 6 months, and are of many types:

• Executive programs for business leaders, including courses in innovations like artificial intelligence and social media marketing, and training programs in useful skills like leadership.
• Online courses for learners in other countries, are typically chosen from among the most successful programs at the University.
• Language learning programs for short-term visitors to Croatia, primarily aimed at tourists.

Undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s) programs in Croatian Universities last three years (six semesters) in most disciplines, including applied sciences, social sciences, and business. Engineering programs last four years. Finally, medicine, dentistry, veterinary studies, and architecture have integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s programs that last ten to twelve semesters.

Applicants to Bachelor's programs in Croatia must have a high school secondary certificate or diploma. They must also be able to prove proficiency in the language in which their chosen program is taught (Croatian or English).

Students who have completed an undergraduate program can apply for admission into a Croatian Master’s degree program. These normally last two years, though an exception can be made in the form of one-year Master’s programs for students who have completed four years of undergraduate study. Master’s programs involve specialized study in one or more subjects, and focus on topics that are relevant in current research or in the labor market. The final semester is usually spent on Master’s thesis work; which involves a complex project guided by a member of a research group. There is no requirement for original output, but the quality of work required is very high. Most postgraduates tend to take up full-time jobs after receiving their degrees, though a significant minority choose to start doctoral studies.

In certain subjects like medicine, architecture, and law, Bachelor’s and Master’s programs are combined into integrated five or six-year programs.

Doctoral studies in Croatian Universities last three years, and culminate in the award of PhD degrees. The research output of Croatia is impressive, and doctoral students form the backbone of the analysis work coming out of research labs. After a brief introduction to research techniques, PhD candidates are expected to embark upon original work in their chosen field, with extensive guidance from their faculty supervisors. A successful PhD thesis defense is required for the award of the doctoral degree.