Individual Educational Pathways for Students

On April 23, 2024, in the second reading, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Law No. 10177 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Development of Individual Educational Pathways and Improvement of the Educational Process in Higher Education.” The law is an important component of the comprehensive transformation of the higher education system.

The following changes will take place:

Students will be able to individualize educational pathways with the help of interdisciplinary educational programs. The law enables the model of “entering the field of knowledge” through an interdisciplinary educational program, which provides for the choice of a specific specialty not immediately, but after one or one and a half years of study at the university. Also, at the bachelor’s level, interdisciplinary educational programs (within the field or inter-field) will appear, which will meet the specific requests of regions and employers.
Applicants will be able to take advantage of more flexible rates and save the terms of their studies. Contract students will be able to independently determine the duration of their studies at the university: complete a 4-year bachelor’s program in three years or combine studies with work and complete the necessary 240 ECTS credits in 6-8 years.
Participants of academic mobility will be able to credit learning outcomes obtained in formal, non-formal and informal education. This is especially relevant for those students who combine studies at Ukrainian higher education institutions and abroad. For this, a corresponding Order will be created.

Universities will receive greater autonomy and will be able to independently determine the tools for achieving the competences established by the standard in non-regulated specialties, which will bring the Ukrainian higher education system closer to European standards. There will be more elective disciplines.
An important clarification: higher education standards will be updated in the coming months, they will have more selectivity, which will help increase competition in universities. From now on, teachers of innovative courses will get more opportunities, and students will get a higher quality of education.

For such rigidly regulated specialties as law, medicine, law enforcement, etc., the requirements for competences and learning outcomes will be defined in detail. State qualification exams are provided for these specialties.
More information can be found here: https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/CardByRn?regNum=10177&conv=9