Kazakhstan
Types of HEIs
1 : Universitet : University
Description:an institution of higher and (or) postgraduate education which carries out scientific and pedagogical activity, training, basic and (or) applied scientific research in different areas and which as a leading scientific and methodical center
2 : Akademija : Academy
Description:an institution of higher and (or) postgraduate education which is carries out scientific and pedagogical activity in a certain area and which is a scientific and methodical center
3 : Institut : Institute
Description:an institution of higher and (or) postgraduate education which carries out scientific and pedagogical activity and also training for professional activities
4 : Natsional'nyj issledovatel'skiy universitet : National Research University
Description:a research university having a special status
5 : Issledovatel'skiy universitet : Research University
Description:a university implementing the Program of Development approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan for five years and using results of its activity for integration of science and education, generation and transfer of new knowledge and technologies
Pre-Higher Education System
entry:6/7
exit:15
Primary :
Length of program:4
Age level from:6
Age level to:10
Lower Secondary :
Length of program:5
Age level from:10
Age level to:15
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:Certificate of Incomplete Secondary Education
Senior Secondary :
Length of program:2
Age level from:15
Age level to:17
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Vocational Secondary : Colleges, Vocational Lyceums, Technical Schools and Vocational Training Schools
Length of program:2/4
Age level from:15
Certificate/Diploma awarded at end:Diploma of Secondary Vocational Education
Primary school starts at age 6 or 7 and lasts 4 years. Secondary education is then split into two stages. Stage one (lower secondary) lasts 5 years and students receive the Certificate of Incomplete Secondary Education. Stage two is itself split in two sections: senior secondary lasts two years, at the end of which students receive the Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education. Students can also go onto general and vocational secondary education, which lasts two to four years, depending on prior educational attainment. Students receive the Diploma of Secondary Vocational Education. The Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education is required for entry to higher education, along with the Unified National Test (UNT).
Higher Education System
In Kazakhstan the three-level system of the higher and postgraduate education functions as per the Bologna Process: bachelor-master-doctoral degrees. There are also educational programmes offering the "specialist" qualification. The number of credits is comparable to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS): a Bachelor degree - 240 ECTS, a specialist programme - 300 ECTS, a Master degree - 60-120 ECTS (1 1/2 to 2 years of training), doctoral studies - 180 ECTS.
Law on Education (2018)
Law on Education (2017)
Law on Education (2011)
Law on Education (2007)
Law on Education (1999)
Law on Education (1992)
Kazakh, Russian, English
University level first stage : Undergraduate level - Bachelor degree / Specialist
Description:the Bachelor degree is awarded after successfully passing a final assessment of the educational programme at higher education level, and accumulating a minimum of 240 ECTS. The Specialist degree is worth 300 ECTS and is carried out in 5 to 6 six years and awards a professional qualification in a number of areas.
University level second stage : Graduate level - Master degree
Description:The Master degree is awarded after successfully passing a final assessment of the educational programme at higher education level, and accumulating a minimum of 60-120 ECTS (1 1/2 to 2 years of training)..
University level third stage : Postgraduate level - PhD
Description:A PhD degree is conferred after completion of a peiod of research and lasts for at least three years
The Master's degree and the Specialist qualification allows the holder to teach within a higher education institution. The training of teachers is carried out in the higher education institutions of Kazakhstan, which havie pedagogical educational licenses.
In Kazakhstan there is no special provision for distance higher education, according to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education", but distance educational technology and tools are used to facilitate learning for correspondences course, accoridng to student needs.
Bodies
Ministerstvo nauki i vysshego obrazovaniya Respubliki Kazakhstan
Role:The government body that guides the field of higher education and science, protection of children's rights and youth policy
Street:8 Mangilik Yel Avenue
City:Nur-Sultan
PostCode:Z05K5K8
Tel:+7(7172) 74-23-61
www:https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/sci?lang=en
Contacts:Sayasat Nurbek (Head), Job title : Minister
Assotsiatsija vuzov Respubliki Kazakhstan
Role:Non-profit organization of over 80 accredited universities of various types and profiles
Street:16-18a Satpaeva Street
City:Almaty
PostCode:050013
www:http://edurk.kz
Contacts:Rahman Alshanov (Head), Job title : President
Qazaqstan Respwblïkası Ğılım jäne joğarı bilim mïnïstrliginiñ Joğarı bilimdi damıtw ulttıq ortalığı
Role:The center promotes proper and full implementation of the agreed principles of the Bologna Process in the Republic of Kazakhstan at national and university levels. The center is also a member of ENIC-NARIC network. All procedures for recognition and nostrification of documents are dealt with by the center.
Recognition for institution:no
Recognition for profession:yes
Street:28 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue
City:Nur-Sultan
PostCode:Z05H0E8
www:https://enic-kazakhstan.edu.kz
Contacts:Yermek Makash (Head), Job title : Director
Al'jans studentov Kazakhstana
Role:The student organization that brings together students across the country in order to improve the quality of education, protect students' rights, involve them in active student life, to instill positive qualities among young people.
Ministerstvo nauki i vysshego obrazovaniya Respubliki Kazakhstan
Role:The government body that guides the field of education and science, protection of children's rights and youth policy.
Grants:yes
Loans:yes
Street:8 Mangilik Yel Avenue
City:Nur-Sultan
PostCode:Z05K5K8
Tel:+7(7172) 74-23-61
www:https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/sci?lang=en
Role:Provides state aid to students: delivery of guarantees on educational financial credits; control over training of young specialists and PhD students; helping students find places in dormitories; delivery of awards on educational deposits; maintenance of per capita financing.
Category of students:all categories
Grants:no
Loans:yes
Street:18 Mangilik Yel Avenue
City:Nur-Sultan
PostCode:010000
Contacts:Askar Izimbayevich Ibraimov (Head), Job title : President
Admission to Higher Education
Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Requirement for:Vocational education is carried out in colleges and higher colleges on a base of a complete secondary education and (or) senior secondary education.
After secondary education the applicant has the right to choose a technical and professional education institution (college, higher college) after 9th or 11th grade; or postsecondary education (an applied bachelor degree). Also in Kazakhstan students can apply to short cycle programmes, which are provided by higher colleges.
Regulated by the organization of education
Regulated by the organization of education
Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Requirement for:University level admission requires the certificate of senior secondary education.
Students must sit the Unified National Test (UNT) and testing is carried out 4 times a year for entering a higher education institution on a paying basis (January; March; June-July; August) and to obtain a grant - in June-July. In the January session three categories can sit the UNT: 1) students having completed 11 or 12 years of educatio; 2) applicants who started university in September with a conditional place; 3) transferring students specialized (art) specialties to other specialties.
Article 26 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education" states that admission to educational programmes demanding special and (or) creative preparation including for training in the fields of education and health care is carried out by taking into account the results of special and (or) creative examinations. The list of educational programmes and an requiring special and (or) creative examinations are established by standard Regulations of Admission.
Definition:Any foreign citizen or person of Kazakh nationality who is not a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, meeting the requirements and conditions, provided by the Rules of Selection of applicants for participation in scholarship programmes and participating in a competition.
Admission Requirements:For training at full bachelor degree programme applicants submit the following documents:
1) application form identifying the educational programme;
2) copies of their identification document;
3) a copy of previous educational attainment with a transcript/translation;
4) a motivational essay in Kazakh, Russian or English;
5) a letter of recommendation in Kazakh, Russian or English;
6) a completed questionnaire;
7) a certificate of criminal record
Testing will also be carried to judge the applicant's potential for adaptation and an online interview is obligatory.
Quotas:Scholarship programmes can be provided to foreign citizens, including persons of Kazakh nationality who are not citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for training in Kazakh higher education institutions for either the full period of training, for one academic year, or for one academic period, depending on the length of educational programme. Scholarship programmes are also available for higher and postgraduate, doctoral education, depending on available budgetary funds
Health:Medical certificate
Language Proficiency:Regulated by HEI
Entry Regulations:Visa issues are presented on the website of the MFA of the Republic of Kazakhstan
http://mfa.gov.kz/ru/visa/index
Application to Individual Institution:Yes
Application to Central Body:No
Recognition of Studies
Recognition is carried out for documents attesting to completed secondary education, senior secondary education, vocational education, postsecondary, higher and postgraduate education for persons who obtained an education in other states' institutions and their branches.
The recognition procedure consists of four stages:
1. Identification (authentication of education documents);
2. Documentation;
3. Examination (assessment of education level and (or) qualification);
4. Validation (certificate of recognition of the foreign education document).
The process is carried out by the Bologna Process and Academic Mobility Center of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The agreement of the Commonwealths of Independent States on cooperation in the field of education (1992)
The Agreements between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Government of the Russian Federation on cooperation in culture, science and education (1994)
The Conventions on recognition of the qualifications relating to the higher education in European the region – the Lisbon convention (1997)
The Agreement of the Commonwealths of Independent States on mutual recognition and equivalence of documents on secondary (general) education, primary professional and secondary professional (special) education (2004)
The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Government of Turkmenistan on mutual recognition of documents on education, academic degrees and ranks (2001)
The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Cabinet of the Ukraine on mutual recognition and equivalence of documents on education and academic (scientific) degrees and academic ranks (2001)
The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of People's Republic of China on mutual recognition of documents on education and academic degrees (2006)
The Agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union (2014)
Student Life
Is there social security:No
Is there social security:No
By Road:Yes
By Rail:Yes
By Air:No
Available to Foreign Students:No
Credentials
Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Description:The Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education is awarded after 11 years of schooling (in 2014 this was extended to 12 years as a pilot scheme).
Bakalavriat
Description:First terminal qualification offered after at least four years of study.
Credential required for entry:Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Type of institution where credential is offered:Universitet (University)
Akademija (Academy)
Institut (Institute)
Natsional'nyj issledovatel'skiy universitet (National Research University)
Issledovatel'skiy universitet (Research University)
Spetsialist
Description:Degree awarded in a number of professional areas such as Medicine, Engineering etc, after at least 5 or 6 years and is worth 300 ECTS.
Credential required for entry:Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education
Magistratura
Description:Postgraduate qualification conferred after a further one or two years' study beyond the Bachelor's degree.
Credential required for entry:Bakalavriat
Type of institution where credential is offered:Universitet (University)
Akademija (Academy)
Institut (Institute)
Natsional'nyj issledovatel'skiy universitet (National Research University)
Issledovatel'skiy universitet (Research University)
Doctorantura
Description:A PhD is conferred by several universities after a minimum of three years' study.
Credential required for entry:Magistratura
Type of institution where credential is offered:Universitet (University)
Data Provided by
From:2019
To:2020
IAU from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, March 2019; ENIC-NARIC country information, May 2020. Bodies updated April 2024.
Updated on 06-05-2020