Ministry of Education is changing rules for admission to postgraduate training program in 2024 due to rush among men of military age
The Ministry of Education and Science is changing the rules for admission to graduate school because of the rush that followed the start of the full-scale invasion, as graduate school provides a deferral from mobilization. This year, 91,561 people are applying for postgraduate studies.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Admission to postgraduate studies this year will be carried out exclusively state-commissioned while the number of state-funded places will double to enable all those who really want to obtain a PhD (and not just avoid mobilization through postgraduate studies) to do so with full support from the state.
This year, admission to postgraduate training program under the fee-paying basis will be possible only in part-time and evening forms of study, which do not give the right to deferment.
Until 2022, 7-8 thousand people were enrolled in postgraduate training program annually.
For comparison, in 2024, more than 246,000 people applied for the master's and PhD programs. Of these, 91,561 were men aged 25-60 who already had a master's or specialist's degree.
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, this number clearly indicates that the desire to enroll in graduate school is not motivated by a desire to conduct research or embark on a research or teaching career, but rather by other factors. In addition, there are a number of schemes that illegally offer to provide potential PhD students with full-time contractual enrollment to avoid mobilization.
Regarding changes to the Procedure for admission to higher education in 2024:
- The UEE (Unified Entrance Exam) for all applicants to postgraduate programs will remain, but the weight of its components in the calculation of the competitive score will change. Therefore, all those who registered for the UEE in 2024 will take it.
- Admission to the entrance exams at all HEIs and research institutions is based on the EMI score in the general academic competence tests at the level of 160 points.
- As for the foreign language portion of the UEE, the applicant's score may not be taken into account in the competitive score for admission to graduate school. This will be decided at the discretion of the institution, which may take into account the foreign language exam or establish its own exam. Instead, the grade obtained as a result of passing the UEE in the foreign language remains mandatory for admission to master's programs.
The special order of the Ministry of Education and Science provides for the following innovations:
- In 2024, admission to postgraduate studies is possible only for full-time study under the state-commissioned education. Important: in 2024, it is not possible to enroll in a full-time postgraduate program on a fee-paying basis.
- The number of state-funded places is being increased from the traditional 3,200 to 7,000. This way, the number of real graduate students who really want to do research and develop in graduate school will be ensured. After the initial passing of the UEE by all applicants, it is the universities and research institutions that will select the most talented applicants through their entrance exams.
- Part-time and evening forms remain under fee-paying basis (the latter is available both under the state-commission and under fee-paying basis). Important: evening and part-time forms of study do not provide for a deferment from mobilization.
- Transfer from other forms of study to full-time study will not be available.
- The resumption of full-time studies is allowed only to persons who are not liable for military service, as well as to other categories who are legally allowed to interrupt their studies (pregnancy, military service, medical professionals, etc.).
Mr. Lisovyi also called on law enforcement agencies to report all cases of fake education.
As a reminder, the law on mobilization provides for conditions for postponement of mobilization of students, postgraduates and teachers.
