Lithuania is a crossroad between west and east Europe, and despite its complicated history, has developed a unique culture, which encompasses both deep respect for traditions and a robust wish to learn and innovate. We are members of the EU and NATO, and are among the most bilingual and educated nations in Europe, however costs of living here are lower than in western countries, which makes Lithuania ideal for aspiring students.

All of the 350+ English-taught study programmes in Lithuania are evaluated according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), with each year of study being awarded with 60 ECTS credits. You can find all of them on http://www.studyinlithuania.lt. University degrees are offered in three cycles: the first cycle is undergraduate (Bachelor), the second cycle is graduate (Master, and/or specialised professional studies), and the third one is postgraduate (Doctoral; residency; postgraduate in the Arts). Bachelor degrees and professional qualifications are offered at universities; professional qualifications, but not degrees, can be taken at colleges. The academic year starts in September and ends in mid-June and is divided into two semesters – spring and autumn. Students can opt to study full-time or part-time.

If you are at the second cycle stage (or aim to be there) and you want to study for a Master’s degree and/or a specialised professional qualification one of the options open to you is the Integrated study programmes. These programmes combine university studies at the first and second cycles. The successful graduates are awarded a Master’s Diploma which testifies to their Master’s degree status.

Admission process
The admission process is a piece of cake after you decide which programme you wish to study. Most Universities have deadlines in June for the start in September, but international students are advised to apply as early as possible in order to leave more time to work out the details. The following three steps are required to enroll with Lithuanian university:

First, you must have your education documents recognised in the Republic of Lithuania. The evaluation and recognition of foreign school-leaving certificates and higher education qualifications is carried out accordingly by the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (CQAHE): www.skvc.lt/en/
After the recognition of your qualifications, you can apply to a University (most of the time it can be done online, and you can find all the contact details on http://www.studyinlithuania.lt);
Requirements
If you want to study in the first-cycle (Bachelor’s) programme at a higher education institution in Lithuania you need to have a Maturity Certificate (school leaving certificate) or an equivalent qualification. To be admitted to the second-cycle university programme you should hold a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification (usually in the respective field). In order to enter the third-cycle university studies (Doctoral, as well as residency, postgraduate Arts studies), you should have either a Master’s or a corresponding degree in the respective study field.

Tuition fees
“Knowledge is priceless; however, studies have to be paid for”.

At Higher Education institutions in Lithuania, tuition fees differ from institution to institution, depending on which study programme has been chosen and which stage the student is at. Educational institutions announce their tuition fees annually.

On average, the cost of studies at higher education institutions is approximately between 1.000 – 5.300 EUR per year for Bachelor studies, from 2.200-6.500 EUR per year for Master studies and from 7.100 to 8.500 EUR per year for postgraduate studies. You can find more detailed information on tuition fees for specific programmes on http://www.studyinlithuania.lt

Students at Higher Education institutions in Lithuania may be awarded scholarships and may also participate in international exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus). Those who participate in students’ exchange programmes do not have to pay any extra tuition fees for the exchange programme.

Scholarships
Students of all fields, lecturers and researchers of higher education or research institutions of foreign countries are eligible to apply for Lithuanian state scholarships. Usually (but not in all cases), scholarships cover both tuition-fee for studies/summer courses and living expenses. Financial provisions depend on the country you are applying from. There are three scholarships offered:

For Lithuanian language and culture summer courses;
For short term Lithuanian (Baltic) studies;
For full-time Master degree studies in all fields.
1st of April is the deadline for the document submission for both spring and autumn semesters (for summer courses, short-term studies and research scholarships), while the deadline for applications for the full-time master degree studies is usually set for mid-July. Learn more about the exact deadlines this year and which scholarships you are eligible for at http://www.smpf.lt/en/statescholarships.

In addition to state scholarships, Universities sometimes grant individual scholarships, which you can enquire about when applying!

Practice
Higher Education institutions in Lithuania focus on giving students the skills they need in order to apply their knowledge in a practical way. Therefore, students are able to undertake educational, professional or scientific practices both locally and internationally.

Opportunities for practical involvement include the following:

EU programmes, such as Erasmus (Higher Education) and Comenius (intended for future teachers).
IAESTE, an international, non-profit association which implements an exchange programme for students at technical universities, involving students from 86 countries and more than six thousand companies worldwide. In Lithuania, Kaunas University of Technology act as a representative (http://karjera.ktu.lt/?lan=en).
Student organisations such as AIESEC (http://www.aiesec.lt/en), among others.
It’s quite common to directly approach companies and ask for opportunities for un-paid work experience. This will greatly improve your CV and also give you practical knowledge, which will come in handy when you are considered for a permanent position.
English language courses in Lithuania
Meet language requirements for university admission in Lithuania by choosing an English language preparation course offered by English language schools worldwide, including Lithuania. By taking the right English exam training course you will advance your language skills in order to get the needed scores for IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, or other English exams.