Basic Information about Lithuania
Lithuania is the largest of the three Baltic States. It is bound by the Baltic Sea, Latvia, Poland and the Kaliningrad Region of Russia and Belarus. The capital of the country is Vilnius. Lithuania has a population of 3.5 million people. The official language is Lithuanian.
From cities and towns full of historic monuments to wonderful retreats in a pristine natural environment, Lithuania has places to go and see for everyone. Officially recognized as the geographical centre of Europe and connected by numerous routes to major European cities, Lithuania can be easily reached by land, water or air.
The Higher Education System
In Lithuania, higher educational institutions provide study programmes of varying duration and levels. The institutions are of two types: universities and colleges – non-university higher educational institutions. Universities offer Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral programmes, high-level professional creative artistic activities, postgraduate art studies and research opportunities. A college is a higher educational institution where non-university studies prevail and the majority of students study in accordance with non-university study programmes, applied research and (or) development or professional arts.
There are 50 higher education institutions in Lithuania. There are 15 state and 7 private universities, 28 colleges (
kolegija), of which16 are state and 12 private colleges.
University level first stage: Undergraduate studies (Pagrindines studijos)
Undergraduate studies leading up to a Bachelor’s Degree (Bakalauras) or a professional qualification and they generally last four years.
University level second stage: Specialised or Master’s studies (Magistras), Integrated Studies
Upon completion of an undergraduate study programme, graduates may pursue specialised professional studies or studies leading to a Master’s Degree which last 1.5 to 2 years. Specialised professional study programmes, lasting 1-2 years, lead to professional qualifications. There are also integrated studies (i.e., combined first and second stages): the duration of studies is no more than 6 academic years and no less than 5 academic years.
University level third stage: Rezidentura (Residency), Meno aspirantura(Postgraduate art studies), Doktorantura (Doctoral studies)
Doctoral studies last 4 years and can be pursued after completing the second stage, integrated studies, or acquiring equivalent qualifications. Upon completion of the doctoral course, a doctoral thesis must be prepared and publicly defended by the candidate in order to qualify for a Doctorate. Doctoral studies must be jointly organised by higher educational and research institutions.
Scholarships
The Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuania offers scholarships for Lithuanian and (or) Baltic studies at the higher education institutions of Lithuania. The scholarship can be granted for a semester or two (up to 10 months) of Lithuanian (Baltic) studies. The Ministry also offers scholarships for Lithuanian language and culture summer courses (3-4 weeks) in the higher education institutions of Lithuania.
For more information, see:
www.smm.lt/en/am/index.htm#1
Most scholarships are granted in the framework of university or institutional co-operations. Students may then contact the office of International Relations of their respective universities to get more information about the scholarships available. If you are interested in studying in Lithuania and if you are looking for financial support/Schalorship, we strongly recommend that you reach our counselor who would assist you to find all the information on available scholarships (section Study & Research in Lithuania). Our aim is to make it easier for those interested in studying in Lithuania as well as those providing assistance and advice in ESC’s office to find details of existing grant programmes and to guarantee that the information about these programmes is always up to date.
