Study in Slovakia

Public Universities: These are funded by the Ministry of Education of Slovakia and provide Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral courses in a variety of subjects. They also conduct fundamental research with a high degree of autonomy. Typically, public universities are governed by independent bodies, even though their budget comes from the Government.

State Owned Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): There are three state owned HEIs in Slovakia, respectively focused on police training, military education, and healthcare management. They are governed by the Ministry of the Interior, and have substantially less autonomy than public universities, since their intake is determined by the country’s requirements rather than on decisions by the HEI management. In addition, their study programs and curriculum are largely informed by the Government.

Private Higher Education Institutions: These are similar to Public Universities in terms of degrees offered, but are not funded by the Government. The scale of research activities at Private HEIs is much smaller than those in public universities, and the average student fee is higher.

Foreign Higher Education Institutions: Slovakia is home to several branches of Universities from other countries in the European Economic Area. Many of these allow their students to spend one or more semesters on the main campus of the University through an exchange program. They typically do not offer the full range of programs that the main Universities offer, but only a selection of their most popular courses.

Slovak Universities have several world-renowned courses in engineering, medicine, and the humanities. In order to provide their most popular courses to busy students in the short term, many schools of higher education provide certificate courses. These are designed to be completed in three months or less, and entail 100 to 300 hours of classes with regular assignments and examinations. The academic load is approximately equal to that of a single-semester course in a Slovak University. Most of these certificate programs require their students to attend classes in person, though some executive programs for business leaders allow online classes and submissions as well.

The first level of tertiary education in the Slovak Republic is the Bachelor’s Degree. This is offered by all three types of institutions of higher education in the country. Most Bachelor’s programs last three years, though certain engineering programs may last 8 semesters, and include a semester or a year spent working in industry. A vocational variant also exists, where students receive practical training, and join a company immediately after the completion of 6 to 8 semesters of study.

The first year of an undergraduate program in Slovakia involves general education in subjects related to the overall field of study. For example, Bachelor’s programs in Engineering start with courses in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, statistics, and engineering techniques. The second and third years involve more specialized courses, as students choose a major and possibly a minor subject to specialize in. Many students in Slovak Universities complete an internship between their second and third years. The degree ends with an optional Bachelor’s Thesis defense; this is compulsory for Honors students. The entire Bachelor’s degree requires completion of 180 ECTS credits. More than 50% of all students enrolled in Slovak Universities study various types of Bachelor’s programs; this is the most popular type of degree in the country. 

Master’s degrees in Slovak Universities usually last at least four semesters and require completion of 120 ECTS credits, which can be transferred to other institutions of higher education in Europe. Postgraduate courses differ from undergraduate courses in that they are much more intensive, with a larger number of assignments and a focus on modern advancements. In addition, Master’s students are typically expected to choose courses that are closely related to their overall program concentration, with less scope for academic flexibility and taking up courses in unrelated disciplines.

The final semester of postgraduate study is spent working towards a Master’s Thesis. This combines literature surveys and research work. There is no requirement for original research output, but the quality standards are high. The thesis defense takes place before a panel of senior professors in the department who are not directly attached to the same research lab. Most Master’s graduates end up in corporate jobs; the economy of Slovakia grows rapidly every year, and there is a constant demand for qualified professionals in several fields, including data science, welfare economics, and information technology.

PhD degrees are commonly offered by public and private Universities in Slovakia. They take 3 to 5 years to complete. During the application process, candidates write to a faculty member at the University and receive their consent to serve as their doctoral supervisor. PhD students work closely with their supervisors to settle on a research direction, set up a series of experiments and structure their work. 

The key expectation for doctoral students in Slovakia is to conduct original research. They are helped to acquire the tools that make this easier, with the first year being dedicated to research assistant duties and basic coursework related to research and analytical techniques. Subsequently, they are guided at a high level by their faculty supervisors, and helped with day-to-day activities by postdoctoral researchers who work in the same laboratories. By the third year, they are able to take the lead on an independent piece of research, and most students publish one or two journal papers at this time. Finally, they defend their PhD thesis once the supervisor deems them ready; this is done in front of a panel of 3 to 5 distinguished professors who play the roles of external examiners.

Most students who complete their PhD degrees in Slovak Universities go on to join a postdoctoral program elsewhere in Europe. However, an increasing number of PhD graduates are choosing to join companies in senior innovation positions.