General information about the higher education system in the country
Higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by legal and other by-laws of the competent educational authorities in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In accordance with the above, higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by the Framework Law on Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette, No. 59/07, 59/09), Тhe Law on Higher Education of Republic of Srpska („Official Gazette of Republic of Srpska“, No. 67/20), laws on higher education of the cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District. The Framework Law on Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina determines the organization of the higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the responsibility of the competent authorities in charge of this area, establishes the authorities in charge of enforcement of the Law and of international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the method to ensure the quality in the area of higher education. This Law also establishes the basic principles and standards for acquisition of higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ETS, No. 5, 1950), and its Protocols, through the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Recognition and Evaluation of Quality of Private Higher Education Institutions [R(97)1], Recommendation on Access to Higher Education R(98)3], and Recommendation on Research Task of Universities [R(2000)8], and other relevant principles from internationally recognized legal instruments the contractual party of which Bosnia and Herzegovina is, and in line with the Convention of the Council of Europe/UNESCO on Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education in the European Region (ETS No. 165, 1997). All laws on higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina are fully aligned with the principles of the Bologna process, allowing the full implementation of the Bologna Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Types of higher education institutions:
The higher education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina include universities and higher schools. The term “university”:
is limited to the higher education institutions involved in both lecturing and research work, offering academic degrees in all of the three cycles, with goals including improvement of knowledge, thought and education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, education, cultural, social and economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina, promotion of the democratic civil society and accomplishment of the highest standards in lecturing and research work;
pertains to a higher education institution which implements at least five various study programs from at least three scientific areas – natural sciences, engineering sciences, biomedicine and health, bioengineering sciences, social sciences and humanistic sciences.
The university may have organizational units such as faculties, academies, higher schools or scientific institutes, which conduct the lecturing, scientific research and artistic work in one or more educational and scientific areas.
The term “higher school”:
is limited to the higher education institutions accredited to issue diplomas and degrees of the first cycle, with goals including preparation and training of individuals for expert, economic and cultural development of Bosnia and Herzegovina and promotion of the democratic civil society, as well as accomplishment of high standards in lecturing and study;
pertains to a higher education institution which implements at least one study programs from one scientific area and meets other requirements pursuant to the law.
The Framework Law on Higher Education in BiH stipulates that the theological faculties, higher theological schools and academies may be affiliated with universities, which is regulated through separate agreements. Before the implementation of the Bologna Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there were also higher schools/colleges which provided two-year vocational education. Organization of higher education
The higher education is organized in three cycles:
the first cycle leads to the academic title of completed graduate study (the degree of Bachelor) or an equivalent, acquired following at least three and no more than four years of regular studies after acquisition of the certificate on the completed high school, which is valuated with at least 180, i.e. 240 ECTS credits,
the second cycle leads to the academic title of master or an equivalent, acquired following the completed graduate study, it lasts for one or two years, and it is valuated with 60 or 120 ECTS credits, and so that aggregately with the first cycle it carries 300 ECTS credits,
the third cycle leads to the academic title of doctor or an equivalent, it lasts for three years and is valuated with 180 ECTS credits. One semester of studies carries 30 ECTS credits under each cycle. The study of the medical group of sciences under the first cycle is excepted from the provisions arising from paragraph 1 of this Article, which is valuated with up to 360 ECTS credits. After the completion of the study programme, the graduates are awarded a diploma and the academic title in accordance with the previously approved study programme.
Detailed information on education system in Bosnia and Herzegovina is available at the European Commission’s Eurydice website.
The page contains a description of national education system from early childhood education and care to higher education. National unit from Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for the drafting of their education system descriptions and the content of all 14 chapters according to a common structure. The national education system descriptions provide information on topics that are relevant to the European framework for cooperation in education.
Information on recent policy updates, major reforms and related news
During the Report period, activities in the area of higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina were implemented in close cooperation with the European Commission, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), UNESCO and other relevant international partners and donors in HE sector and all competent HE education authorities and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As a member of the Bologna Process, Bosnia and Herzegovina together with Sweeden was co-chair of the Bologna Follow up Group during the period January 1 to June 31, 2023. Meeting of the BFUG Board was held in March 2023 in Sarajevo.
During the summit of the Berlin Process on November 3, 2022, the leaders of the six economies of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) signed two agreements that continue to strengthen regional cooperation, and which are important for everyday life of citizens:
Agreement on recognition of professional qualifications of doctors of medicine, doctors of dental medicine and architects in the context of the Central European Agreement on Free Trade and Agreement on recognition of qualifications of higher education;
The Agreement on the recognition of higher education qualifications in the Western Balkans regulates the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications, the continuation of studies and access to the unregulated labor market in each of the signatory countries. The goal is to enable better mobility of young people in the region.
The agreement:establish common rules and procedures for the recognition of higher education qualifications,
enables the mobility of students and academic staff in the Western Balkans on the basis of the Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications, the Bologna Process and the corresponding rules of the European Union,
improve recognition procedures by shortening the period for making a decision on recognition from the existing several months to a maximum of 14 days.
On behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the signatory was the chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia
and Herzegovina.On October 16, 2023. at the Summit of the Berlin Process in Tirana by the leaders of the six economies of the Western Balkans are to sign the third agreement on mobility.
The Agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications of nurses, veterinary surgeons, pharmacists and midwives in the context of the Central European Free Trade Agreement provides for the automatic recognition of professional qualifications based on the minimum training requirements for the four professions included in this agreement. This Agreement will facilitate the mobility of experts within the region, strengthen regional cooperation, give impetus to the economic development of the region, and increase the competitiveness of highly qualified experts. By supporting the mobility of experts, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have the opportunity to achieve significant progress in the field of healthcare, veterinary medicine and pharmacy.
The Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina is appointed as the signatory on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina. All Agreements are in line with the EU Directive on Regulated Professions.
The implementation of “Priorities 2016-2026 Higher Education Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina” started in 2017 and is ongoing. The Priorities cover the following fields: Good Governance and Management; Resources; Connection between Labor Market and Higher Education; Qualification Standards; Student Experience; Internationalization; Statistics. The implementation of the Strategic Directions of Higher Education Development in the Federation of BiH 2012-2022 and the Strategy for the development of science and technology, higher education and the information society in the Republic of Srpska for the period 2023 – 2029 are ongoing and various projects are funded for their implementation.
The process of programming of IPA II for the country in the field of Employment and Education took place with a focus on education for employment in accordance with the Reform Agenda for BiH. The Council of Ministers of BiH designated a coordinating institution and a contact point for the road map and implementation of the EU Directive on Regulated Professions 2005/36EC and 2013/55EU. Further action is planed through the Project of the EC to form a list of regulated professions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Working Group for further development of Qualification Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina is established.
In the Republic of Srpska, the process of drafting the Law on the Qualification Framework of the Republic of Srpska is underway. The Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance in BiH (HEA) improved the procedures and documents for the selection of domestic and international experts on the List of Experts. Three new documents were published in the "Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina", number: 22/23, namely:
Rulebook on the manner of conducting a public competition for the selection of domestic and international experts for quality assessment and audit and giving recommendations on the accreditation of the Higher Education Institution and study programmes ("Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina", no. 22 /23)
Decision on the method of formation of the Committee for the selection of domestic and international experts who evaluate and carry out quality audits and make recommendations on the accreditation of the Higher Education Institution and study programmes ("Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina", no. 22/23)
Decision on the criteria for the selection of domestic and international experts who evaluate and carry out quality audits and make recommendations on the accreditation of the Higher Education Institution and the study programmes ("Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina", no. 22/23). HEA also adopted the document: “Recommendations for regulating the process of accreditation of higher education institutions and study programmes of the 1st and 2nd cycle of studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina" ("Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina", number: 34/23.). The aim of these Recommendations is to create a basis for the harmonisation of the accreditation procedures of higher education institutions and study programmes of the 1st and 2nd cycle of studies for all competent educational authorities as well as other participants in the accreditation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Instructions on amendments and additions to the instructions on the form and content of the diploma and diploma supplement issued by accredited higher education institutions were also adopted ("Official Gazette
of Bosnia and Herzegovina", number 34/23).
The Agency for Higher Education of Republic of Srpska is an integral part of the system of higher education, whose status, jurisdiction, organization, management, leadership, financing and work are prescribed by the Law on the Agency for Higher Education of Republic of Srpska (“Official Gazzette of Republic of Srpska” number 42/24), and also by the Law on the Higher Education of Republic of Srpska (“Official Gazzette of Republic of Srpska” number 67/20). Cooperation between AHERS and HEA has been improved. At the upcoming session of the ENQA General assembly in October 2024, the two agencies will present their cooperation in the field of accreditation. As for the projects implementation, in 2023, a cooperation agreement was signed within the project "Supporting European QA Agencies in meeting the ESG" - SEQA ESG II. On this occasion, a consultative meeting was held in Banja Luka in December 2023, jointly organized by AHERS and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), which is the project coordinator. AHERS is a partner in the project "Strengthening Capacities and Mechanisms for Improvement of Quality in Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina" - Strengthening Capacities and Mechanisms for Enhancement of Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education in Bosnia
and Herzegovina (SMEQA-ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE-STRAND-3 ). This year, AHERS achieved crossborder cooperation for the accreditation of two medical faculties according to the World Federation for Medical Education standard (WFME), which was assessed as a positive step forward by ENQA and CEENQA.
The European Network of Information Centers in BiH and the National Academic Recognition Information Centers (ENIC/NARIC) elaborated the Recommendations on Recognition of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications for the Purpose of Employment and published in the „Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina“, No: 81/17. The Recommendations are a result of the Centre's endeavor to facilitate recognition of foreign higher education qualifications in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to bring closer practices of recognition of the European Area of Recognition (EAR) to competent recognition authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Centre for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (BiH ENIC/NARIC) elaborated “Roadmap for systematic implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention of higher education qualifications„ (Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina “, No: 64/20)). Furthermore, Centre elaborated Glossary in the field of mobility as well as Model for Recognition of International Higher Education Qualifications for the Purpose of Access to Labour market and Model for Continuation of Education, Recommendations on the Evaluation of Foreign Higher Education Qualifications in the Recognition Procedure (Official Gazette of BiH, No. 08/21), Recommendations on the Recognition of Qualifications Related to Access to Higher Education (Official Gazette of BiH, No 58/21), Recommendations on the Recognition of Specific Learning Paths (Official Gazette of BiH, No 69/22)
The Foundation for Mobility of Students and Teachers in the Federation of BiH was established in 2018.
Following laws have been adopted:
Different activities under IPA II for the country in the field of Employment, Education and Social Policy took place, with the focus on education for employment in accordance with the Reform Agenda for BiH and priorities defined between relevant stakeholders at all levels of authorities in BiH. There are still no projects approved in education sector under cycle of IPA III. Council of Ministers is about to adopt Information on participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Erasmus + for the fields including Education and Youth for the year 2023.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | Project name | Objectives | Length of project | Keywords | Links |
1 | GROWTH: Greening Relevance in Operations in Western- Balkans Tertiary-Education Habitats | The objectives of the project are:
| 2023-2026 | environmental awareness, green universities, Western Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
2 | ProBLeMS: Development and implementation of metacognitive problem-based modules in blended learning courses in medical sciences | The main goal of the project is to improve the education of doctors in Western-Balkan countries’ (WBC) HEIs with the support of EU HEIs in accordance with societal needs, which is achieved through two specific goals:
| 2023-2026 | innovative models, problem- based learning (PBL), metacognitive knowledge, societal needs, blended learning, Western Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
3 | APLE: Architecture Pop-up Lab Exchange | APLE project has been created in response to the assessment and critical feedback given by the architecture professionals on the competences of young architects that are seeking employment for the first time. Thus, the project strives to mediate between all the challenges and issues that emerge at the threshold between architecture school and employment.
The implementation is focused on three objectives:
1. Innovation and development in the educational process.
2. Initiative and proactive approach to private and public sector, apprenticeship and proto-practice (design studios, contractors, material suppliers/ producers, governmental and NGO institutions).
3. Technological research and teaching upgrade enabled by the Pop-up Laboratories as networking tool, comprised of Core Labs (physical lab space), Virtual Labs (online labs, projects database) and Temporary Labs. | 2023-2026 | Pop-up labs, transfer of knowledge, practice-oriented teaching and learning, innovation in educational process, apprenticeship, employability, social equity, engagement of the private sector | |
4 | 1FUTURE: jOiNEd For sUsTainability - bUilding climate REsilient communities in WB and EU | The wider aim and the specific objectives of the project are in line with the “Green Deal” supporting action within higher education systems for creating climate-resilient communities. | 2023-2026 | economic and social development, climate change, sustainable, resilient society, “Green Deal’’, higher education systems, climate resilient communities | |
5 | BIOSINT: Strengthening capacities and digital competences in biomedical education through internationalization at home | The BIOSINT project intends to improve education and development of students of biomedical sciences, as well as teachers and administrative staff of participating higher educational institutions (HEI). The specific objectives of the BIOSINT project are promotion of academic mobility of individuals and groups, high-quality learning outcomes for participants, cooperation, quality, inclusion, fairness, excellence, creativity and innovation in higher educational area. | 2023-2026 | internationalization, curriculum, digital capacities, intercultural skills, biomedical science, knowledge transfer | |
6 | COWEB: Promoting and Facilitating Collaborative Virtual International Learning in the Western Balkans Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) | The specific objectives of COWEB project are:
| 2023-2026 | virtual collaboration, innovative pedagogy, virtual/blended learning, virtual exchange, employability, labour market | |
7 | DGTRANS: Transport of Dangerous Goods - Modernization of Curricula and Development of Trainings for Professionals in the Western Balkans HEIs | The project aims:
| 2022-2025 | dangerous goods, transport of dangerous goods (TDG), new curricula, Training Centres | |
8 | DIGITCRESHE: Digital Transformation in the Western Balkans Education | The objective of the project is improvement of the quality of the higher education programmes for the creative and cultural industries in the Western Balkan countries to make students more satisfied with the skills they acquired, ensuring that graduates are more skilled and competitive in the labour market and therefore can achieve higher employment rates. | 2023-2025 | digital transformation, curricula, courses, learning materials workshops, intensive study programmes, master programmes, Creative Labs, virtual learning, collaborative platform | |
9 | MAGNET: Managerial and GoverNance Enhancement through Teaching | The following are the main objectives of the project:
| 2022-2025 | the know-how transfer, sustainable network, the BALKANETUP, student- cantered instructional strategies, Centres for Teaching and Learning (CTL), MOOC | |
10 | PARTISH: Development of Part-time and Short-cycle Studies in Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina | The main aim of the project is to improve university studies and lifelong learning orientation in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the development of part-time and short cycle studies and development of legal framework for introduction of this type of studies in order to support different needs and interests of students, companies, higher education institutions (HEIs) in different cantons/entities of BIH and to provide recommendations to HEIs for implementation of part time and short cycle studies in the entire BIH. | 2021-2024 | short cycle, micro-credentials, legal framework, part time studies. | |
11 | OCTRA: Online Course Catalogues and Databases for Transparency and Recognition | The aim of the project is to elaborate guidelines and recommendations that would serve as an assisting tool for HEIs to improve or create appropriately useful and consistent course catalogues corresponding to the national qualifications databases and registers (NQD) (if existing), and for bodies responsible for NQDs to make adaptations in the content useful for credential evaluation. | 2020-2022 | visibility, automatic recognition, mobility, transparency | |
12 | OCTRA 2: Online Course Catalogues and Databases for Transparency and Recognition 2 | The objective is to explore further the role of online course catalogues of higher education institutions (HEI) in the project countries with a special focus on the micro-credentials in order to ensure support to HEIs in providing reliable information. | 2023-2024 | visibility, automatic recognition, mobility, transparency | |
13 | EPER: Effective partnership for enhanced recognition | Project aimed at creating partnership and positive synergies for full implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention (hereinafter LRC) in Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Project created a basis for an improvement at national levels as well as a future joint cooperation in the field of recognition of foreign higher education qualifications in the partner countries. One of project’s results was the Guidelines for Implementation of Council of Europe’s Recommendations on Recognition of Qualifications Held by Refugees. | 2019-2021 | partnership, implementation LRC; cooperation, recognition, refugees. | - |
14 | Twinning project - Strengthening institutional capacity for recognition of higher qualifications in Bosnia and Herzegovina | The objectives of the project are:
| 2018 -2019 | Recognition, harmonization legislations, fair procedures of recognition |
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Relevant links
- National Erasmus+ Office Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ministry of Civil Affairs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Centre for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education
- Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- EHEA Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Eurydice - Bosnia and Herzegovina