Croatia - higher education system

Higher education institutions in the Republic of Croatia are universities (along with their constituents – faculties and other legal entities), polytechnics and colleges. Universities (sveučilišta) are higher education institutions which deliver university study programmes in at least two scientific and/or artistic areas in a greater number of fields. Universities may also deliver professional study programmes At each university, teaching and research is usually carried out by one the following constituent units of the university:

• Faculties (fakulteti) organise and carry out university studies and develop scientific research and professional work in one or more scientific and professional fields. Faculties may also establish and carry out professional studies.
• University departments (odjeli) participate in the implementation of study programmes, develop scientific, artistic and professional work in a single field of science or in an interdisciplinary area of science and participate in the implementation of university studies.
• Art academies (umjetničke akademije) organise and carry out university artistic studies and develop first-rate artistic creative endeavour and scientific research in arts. Art academies may also establish and carry out professional artistic studies.
• University institutes (sveučilišni instituti) perform scientific research in a single or several related scientific fields. University institutes may perform highly professional work and participate in teaching according to enactments passed by the university.

Aside from teaching and research units, other constituent units of universities can include foundations, associations, student centres, health care institutions, libraries and technological centres.

Polytechnics (veleučilišta) and schools of professional higher education or colleges (visoke škole) are higher education institutions which deliver professional study programmes. These two institutions differ in the scope of the programmes they offer: polytechnics are those schools of professional higher education which deliver professional study programmes in three or more scientific fields. Their mission is to offer application-oriented programmes which are professional in character and which often include practical work experience in the general area of study. Both of these types of higher education institutions can organise and conduct professional study programmes and issue first and second cycle degrees (universities – academic and professional, other higher education institutions – only professional), but only universities can implement third cycle education.

Public higher education institutions are those established by the state. Private universities, polytechnics and schools of professional higher education are established by founders in the manner prescribed by the law and regulations related to the establishment of institutions. Counties, towns and municipalities may establish schools of professional higher education by decisions of their representative bodies.

Currently there are 137 higher education institutions in Croatia, respectively: 7 public universities, 3 private universities, 80 constituents of the public universities, 3 private polytechnics, 13 public polytechnics, 28 private colleges and 3 public colleges. The large number of higher education institutions is mostly due to the fact that the four largest universities (Zagreb, Rijeka, Osijek and Split) are not integrated and their constituents (faculties, centres etc.) are legal entities.

The universities in Zagreb, Split, Osijek and Rijeka are mainly composed of smaller constituents - faculties, which are legal entities. Universities in Zadar, Dubrovnik and Pula as well as the International University in Dubrovnik, the Croatian Catholic University in Zagreb and the Media University in Koprivnica are composed of departments, which are not legal entities.

According to the database of the ASHE, Croatian higher education institutions offers more than 1200 study programmes. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in the winter semester of the 2011/2012 academic year, the total of 152 857 students enrolled in pre-Bologna studies and first and in the two-cycle degree system studies. Out of the total number of students enrolled in institutions of higher education in the Republic of Croatia, 76.6% enrolled in faculties, 15.9% in polytechnics, 6.2% in schools of professional higher education and 1.3% in art academies. Also, in the 2011/2012 academic year, the total of 1 197 students were enrolled in postgraduate specialist studies. In the 2010/2011 academic year the total number of doctoral candidates (PhD students) was 3 451.

source:
Eurypedia - The European Encyclopedia on National Education Systems
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/eurypedia_en.php