Recognition of foreign education for the purpose of further studies at the University of Maribor Brina Zavrl brina.zavrl@um.si www.elevate.space

What is recognition of foreign qualification? The recognition of foreign qualifications is a formal procedure that may take place in a variety of legal procedures for a variety of purposes. ACADEMIC RECOGNITION = access to further education and training PROFSSIONAL RECOGNITION = access to the labor market

Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, ENIC-NARIC centre Masarykova cesta 16, 1000 Ljubljana, SI Slovenia Phone: +386 1 478 46 00, +386 1 478 47 45 Fax: +386 1 478 47 19 E-mail: enicnaric-slovenia.mvzt@gov.si Web Site: http://www.mizs.gov.si/en/areas_of_work/directorate_of_higher_education/enic_naric_centre

ENIC-NARIC opinion does contain the following information: - on the Certificate of Education, - on the status of an educational institution and its educational program, - on completed education, particular field of education and the status of acquired education in the country of origin, - on the title obtained in the country of origin, - on all the rights arising from a particular education in the country of origin, - a brief description of the educational system in the country of origin and - on comparability of foreign education with the Slovenian educational system.

ACADEMIC RECOGNITION At the University of Maribor we perform the academic type of recognition for the purpose of continuing (postgraduate study programs) or beginning studies (undergraduate study programs at our University. Recognition of education for access to: - UNDERGRADUATE STUDY PROGRAMS - POSTRGRADUATE STUDY PROGRAMS

LEGAL BASIS FOR THE RECOGNITION PROCEDURE - Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region - Lisbon Recognition Convention - The Law on the Ratification of the Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications (Zakon o ratifikaciji konvencije o priznavanju visokošolskih kvalifikaciji v evropski regiji) - The Law on evaluation and recognition of education (Zakon o vrednotenju in priznavanju izobraževanja) - Rules on the recognition of foreign education at the University of Maribor (Pravilnik o priznavanju tujega izobraževanja na UM)

THE RECOGNITION PROCEDURE The recognition process for the purpose of continuing the education at the higher institution, is carried out at the University of Maribor and ends with the Decision on recognition. The Decision on recognition only approves or disapproves the candidate’s right to access, registration and participation in the enrolment procedure for continuing studies at the educational institution.

RECOGNITION OF EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDY PROGRAMS The process of application for enrolment starts with an application which is at the same time also the application for recognition of foreign education. Candidates can apply electronically using E‐ application portal eVŠ: http://portal.evs.gov.si/prijava/ or http://portal.evs.gov.si/prijava/?locale=en

To prepare the Decision on recognition of foreign education for access to undergraduate study programmes we need the following documentation: - legalized original of the secondary school exit certificate/diploma, proving completed foreign secondary education, - translation into Slovenian or English by a court appointed translator of the secondary school exit certificate, - plain copies of the residual secondary school yearly certificates, - a short chronological description of the entire education prepared and signed by the candidate.

The candidate needs to send the stated documents to the following address: University of Maribor Slomškov trg 15 2000 Maribor Slovenia “recognition of education”

IMPORTANT: According to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Hague Apostille Convention) the documents must be verified with APOSTILLE stamp.

The most important point to consider, when we are deciding whether a candidate is eligible to study at a certain undergraduate study program, is what kind of the right the obtained certificate gives him in the country that issued the certificate. That means, if he has the right to continue his education at a Higher Education Institution in the country of its origin, he will also be granted the same right here in Slovenia.

positive Decision on recognition - allows the candidate to participate in the enrollment procedure negative Decision on recognition - the candidate’s access to the enrollment procedure is rejected

RECOGNITION OF EDUCATION FOR ACCESS TO POSTGRADUATE STUDY PROGRAMS The process of application for enrolment starts with an application which is at the same time also the application for recognition of foreign education. Candidates can apply electronically using E‐ application portal eVŠ: http://portal.evs.gov.si/prijava/ or http://portal.evs.gov.si/prijava/?locale=en

To prepare the Decision on recognition of foreign education for access to postgraduate study programmes at 2nd cycle (MA) studies: - Original of the 1st cycle (bachelor) certificate/diploma paper, or the original of the document confirming graduation at the 1st cycle (bachelor) level if the actual certificate/diploma paper was not issued yet, the document must be verified with APOSTILLE stamp. - Translation of the 1st cycle (bachelor) certificate/diploma paper, or of the original of the document confirming graduation at the 1st cycle (bachelor) level if the actual certificate/diploma paper was not issued yet, to Slovene or English language by a court appointed translator (translation is not necessary for documents in the following languages: English, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, if the document is issued in Latin script)

- Photocopy of the 1st cycle (bachelor) diploma supplement (or similar document confirming the completed subjects, grades obtained, credit points awarded and showing the length of your study), - Translation of the 1st cycle (bachelor) diploma supplement (or similar document confirming the completed subjects, grades obtained, credit points awarded and showing the length of your study) to Slovene or English language by a court appointed translator (translation is not necessary for documents issued in the following languages: English, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, if the document is in Latin script), - A short chronological description of the entire education prepared and signed by the candidate (in CV form with emphasis on previous education).

To prepare the Decision on recognition of foreign education for access to postgraduate study programmes at 3nd cycle (PhD) studies: - Original of the 2nd cycle (masters) certificate/diploma paper, or the original of the document confirming graduation at the 2nd cycle (masters) level if the actual certificate/diploma paper was not issued yet, the document must be verified with APOSTILLE stamp. - Translation of the 2nd cycle (masters) certificate/diploma paper, or of the original of the document confirming graduation at 2nd cycle (masters) level if the actual certificate/diploma paper was not issued yet, to Slovene or English language by a court appointed translator (translation is not necessary for documents in the following languages: English, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, if the document is issued in Latin script),

- Photocopy of the 2nd cycle (masters) diploma supplement (or similar document confirming the completed subjects, grades obtained, credit points awarded and showing the length of study), - Translation of the 2nd cycle (masters) diploma supplement (or similar document confirming the completed subjects, grades obtained, credit points awarded and showing the length of study) to Slovene or English language by a court appointed translator (translation is not necessary for documents in the following languages: English, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, if the document is in Latin script), - A short chronological description of the entire education prepared and signed by the candidate (in CV form with emphasis on previous education).

When the documentation is complete, the authorized person sends the documents together with the request for assessing the content of the completed study program to the Faculty, which appoints a commission or a single professor who gives its opinion on how the candidates obtained education is comparable whether to our 1st or 2nd degree. Based on this opinion, the authorized person then issues a Decision on Recognition of previously obtained education for the purpose of further education at the desired study programme.

Information on recognition procedures are available at the following address: University of Maribor, VPIS Slomškov trg 15 2000 Maribor Slovenia Tel: +386 2 23 55 263 E‐mail: recognition@um.si Internet: http://www.um.si/studij/priznavanje/Strani/default.aspx

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND ALL THE BEST!!