Higher education institutions mostly run both academic and professional programs. Academic higher education programs are based upon fundamental and/or applied science; they usually comprise a thesis at the end of each stage and lead to a Bachelor's or master's degree. Professional higher education – the first level professional higher education or college education leading to professional qualification Level 4, and second level of professional higher education leading to qualification Level 5. Having mastered a program of second level of professional higher education, students are awarded a professional qualification or professional Bachelor's degree that can be followed by a further professional master's studies
Master's degree or the equivalent (graduates of 5-6 year professional higher education programmes in Law and Medicine can continue education at postgraduate level directly) is required for admission to doctoral studies (Ph.D.). Doctoral studies last 3-4 full-time years. They include advanced studies of the subject in a relevant study programme (or an equivalent amount of independent research while working at a university, research institution, etc.) and a scientific research towards doctoral thesis. Publications in internationally quoted scientific journals are required before public defence of the doctoral thesis as an integral part of a study programme. The Council of Science appoints Promotion Council and sets the procedures for award of Doctor's degrees.