Changes introduced to the Law on Higher Education
05.12.2011
The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkini, met with 200 twelfth graders of Tbilisi public schools and spoke to them about the changes that will be introduced to higher education laws starting from January, 2012.  

The changes will affect the following components:

  1. A process of secondary enrollment will be abolished ;
  2. Minimal competency level for medical and law faculties will be increased;
  3. Limitation will be imposed on the higher educational institutions in regard to selecting of the fourth exam;
  4. Changes will be introduced to the student mobility scheme;
  5. The procedure of enrolling the foreign citizens at higher educational institutions accredited in Georgia will be simplified;
  6. Some modifications will be also made in  regard to enrollment of the students at higher professional educational programs;

From 2012, the students will have opportunity to choose from 20 different specialties instead of 7.  This new approach provides a wider choice for the prospective students, though they will be enrolled at the respective universities based on the primary choice. Final results of the exams will be announced earlier, on 25th of August, which will make the whole process less stressful both for the parents and entrants.

Beginning next year, the minimal competency level for medical and law faculties will be increased with 10%, for foreign languages –with 30%.

All higher educational institutions will be required to select the fourth exam according to their profile only. For example, previously, at some HEIs, the entrants had to take history or geography rather than Chemistry or Biology while passing exams to get enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine.

According to the new mobility rule, the students who study at the faculty of History, for example, will not be able to transfer to Medical faculty until they pass the fourth exams at the unified national exams in the respective subject. Nevertheless, credits accumulated during the studies will be retained to the students as part of the mobility scheme.

Foreign citizens, who are willing to study at higher educational institutions accredited in Georgia, will be able to begin their studies within 48 hours after submission of their applications. Validation of all the necessary educational documentations will be carried out simultaneously.
Previously, the foreign students had to wait for months to go though the necessary administrative procedures.

A new rule will regulate enrollment of the students at higher professional educational programs (IV and Vth levels). The entrants will pass the general ability test and later will be able to select their specialties.