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
Recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s higher education sector build on ongoing strategic and policy efforts, with reforms continuing into 2025. The implementation of the “Priorities 2016–2026 for Higher Education Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, ongoing since 2017, remains a key framework, covering governance, resources, labour market relevance, qualification standards, student experience, internationalisation and statistics. Entity-level strategies, including the Strategy for the Development of Science and Technology, Higher Education and the Information Society in the Republic of Srpska (2023–2029), further support reform implementation.
A central challenge remains the fragmentation of governance across multiple administrative levels. Reform efforts continue to emphasise the need for stronger coordination mechanisms and improved coherence in policy implementation. In this context, cooperation with international partners—including the European Commission, UNESCO and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)—has played an important role in supporting reforms and alignment with European standards.
International cooperation and regional integration have been key drivers of development. Bosnia and Herzegovina actively participates in the Bologna Process and co-chaired the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) together with Sweden in the first half of 2023. Within the Berlin Process, Bosnia and Herzegovina signed regional agreements on the recognition of higher education qualifications and professional qualifications, facilitating mobility of students and professionals and improving access to labour markets across the Western Balkans. These agreements align with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the Bologna framework and relevant EU directives, and aim to significantly shorten recognition procedures.
Quality assurance continues to be a major reform priority. The Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance (HEA) has strengthened accreditation procedures through new rulebooks and decisions adopted in 2023, aimed at harmonising accreditation practices across the country. Additional recommendations and guidelines have been introduced to improve the consistency and transparency of accreditation processes and diploma supplements. Cooperation between quality assurance bodies, including HEA and the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska (AHERS), has also intensified, including joint activities and participation in international projects such as SEQA ESG II and SMEQA. These efforts contribute to aligning quality assurance systems with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).
Reforms also focus on strengthening the recognition of qualifications and mobility. The ENIC/NARIC centre in Bosnia and Herzegovina has developed a comprehensive framework of recommendations, roadmaps and models to support the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and facilitate recognition procedures for employment and further study. These measures aim to improve transparency, efficiency and alignment with the European Area of Recognition. At the same time, reforms address the modernisation of study programmes and teaching approaches, with an emphasis on improving relevance to labour market needs and supporting student employability. EU-funded programmes, particularly Erasmus+, continue to play a significant role in capacity building, curriculum development and institutional cooperation, although participation in newer funding cycles remains under development.
By 2025, developments are largely characterised by the continued implementation and consolidation of these previously initiated reforms, rather than the introduction of major new policy measures. The overall focus remains on improving system coherence, strengthening quality assurance, enhancing recognition and mobility frameworks, and advancing integration into the European Higher Education Area.
Information about relevant projects and initiatives
N | Project name | Objectives | Length of project | Keywords | Links |
| 1 | APEL-WB Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning Capacity-Building in the Western Balkans | The project will contribute to an evidence-based approach in the identification and development of support measure for people who have non-formal or informal learning experiences to get their education recognized in order to facilitate access to Higher Education in their Country, in WB and in Europe. | 1.10.2025.-30.9.2028. | https://www.ascal.al/en/ | |
| 2 | Support-AR Supporting Automatic Recognition of Qualifications at Higher Education Institutions | The aim of Support-AR project is to facilitate the practical implementation of automatic recognition of qualifications at higher education institutions (HEI) by fostering their understanding of and trust in the principles of the automatic recognition of qualifications. | 1.8.2025.-31.7.2027. | https://aic.lv/en/about-aic/project/support-ar-projekts/ | |
3 | 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 | |
4 | 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 | |
5 | 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 | |
6 | 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 | |
7 | 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 | |
8 | 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 | |
9 | 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 | |
10 | 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 | |
11 | 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. | |
12 | 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 | |
13 | 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 | |
14 | 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. | - |
15 | 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 |
|
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
Technical Assistance Missions Reports
2023
- Development, implementation and recognition of micro-credentials - examples of good practice
- The further development of the baseline of Qualifications Framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU directives on recognition of professional qualifications