Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe with a high literacy rate of 99.8 percent. The official language of instruction is Ukrainian, but some programs are offered in Russian and English to accommodate foreign students. The academic year runs from September to June and the Ministry of Education and Science administers Ukrainian education.

The Ukrainian education system is composed of preschool education, comprehensive or secondary education, vocational-technical education, and higher education.

Compulsory Education

• Preschool
• Primary school
• Basic (general) secondary education

Non-compulsory Education

• Upper general secondary education
• Vocational and technical education
• Higher education

Higher Education (University)

The most common university credentials evaluated at WES include:

• Diploma of Junior Specialist (Dyplom Molodshogo Spetsialista)
• Bachelor’s Degree (Dyplom Bakalavra)
• Diploma of Specialist (Dyplom Spetsialista)
• Master’s Degree (Dyplom Magistra)
• Doctor of Sciences (Kandydat Nauk)

Read below for more information on these credentials and their equivalency to U.S. and Canadian credentials:

Diploma of Junior Specialist (Dyplom Molodshogo Spetsialista)

• 2—3 years of full-time study after completion of secondary education
  • U.S equivalency: associate of applied science degree
  • Canadian equivalency: diploma (two years)
• 3—4 years of study after incomplete secondary education
  • U.S equivalency: high school diploma and associate of applied science degree
  • Canadian equivalency: secondary school diploma and diploma (two years)
  • Grants access to bakalavr or diploma of specialist

Bachelor’s Degree (Dyplom Bakalavra)

• 4 years of full-time study after completion of secondary education
  • U.S. and Canadian equivalency: bachelor’s degree (four years)
  • Grants access to magistr and diploma of specialist

Diploma of Specialist (Dyplom Spetsialista)

• 5 years of full-time study after completion of secondary education
  • U.S. and Canadian equivalency: bachelor’s and master’s degree
• 1—2 years of study after Dyplom Bakalavra
  • U.S. and Canadian equivalency: master’s degree
  • Grants access to magistr and diploma of specialist

Master’s Degree (Dyplom Magistra)

• 1 year of full-time study after diploma of specialist or two years of study after bakalavr
  • U.S. and Canadian equivalency: master’s degree
  • Grants access to doctorate program

Candidate of Sciences (Kandydat Nauk)

• Minimum 3 years of full-time study after magistra or diploma of specialist
  • U.S. and Canadian equivalency: earned doctorate
  • Grants access to Doctor of Science

If an applicant wants to evaluate incomplete study of higher education, WES offers an option to evaluate this credential and gives an open-ended equivalency stating the major and the exact number of years of study.

For more information on U.S. and Canadian degree equivalencies, please use our degree equivalency tool. To further understand the WES grade conversion scale for Ukrainian credentials, please visit our Country Resources page.  To calculate what your GPA will be worth, try our iGPA Calculator.

WES Required Documents

Here are the required documents you will need for your evaluation:

• Secondary Education
  • Certificate of Completed Secondary education verified by the Information and Image Center ENIC under the Ministry of Education and Science.
• Higher Education
  • Degree certificate and academic transcript verified by the Information and Image Center ENIC under the Ministry of Education and Science. 

All documents must be sent directly to WES by ENIC.

For more information on which documents are acceptable for a WES credential evaluation, please visit our website’s required documents page.

Ready to order your credential evaluation? Start your application today!