Education System in Latvia

The Latvian education system consists of secondary education and higher education. General education in Latvia in total lasts 12 years consisting of necessary 9-years basic education with 3-years secondary education.

There is academic and professional education in Latvia. Most of the institution of higher education offer both academic and professional higher education qualification.

Academic higher education programmes are more inclined to prepare graduates for independent research as well as to provide theoretical background for professional activities. Academic education programmes are executed according to the national standards of academic education. They contain a thesis at the end of each stage and lead to Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree.

Professional higher education degree programmes are tended to provide in-depth knowledge in particular fields, preparing graduates for design or improvement of system, products and technologies as well as prepare them for creative, research and teaching activities in this fields.

Duration of Bachelor’s programme may be 3 or 4 years. The total length of full time Bachelor’s and Master’s is not less than 5 years. Doctoral studies last 3-4 full time years.

Studies in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy professional studies (5 and 6 year studies), are equal to the master's degree and graduates of these programmes can continue their studies in doctoral level programmes.

The degree of master or equivalent is required for admission to doctoral studies. A doctoral degree is awarded after public defense of a doctoral thesis and successfully passed exams in the chosen scientific discipline. The doctoral thesis has to include results of original research and new insights in the scientific discipline. The duration of doctoral study is 3-4 years.