Slovakia

• Governmental membership
  Slovakia has been a Governmental Member of EQAR since January 2019.

  Map: EHEA countries by governmental membership

• General information on higher education

  Higher education in the Slovak Republic is offered by public higher education institutions, state higher education institutions, private higher education institutions and foreign higher education institutions.

• National external quality assurance requirements

  Since 2020,external quality assurance is provided by the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (SAAHE). SAAHE issues the accreditation criteria (standards), assesses higher education institutions' applications and makes final decisions.
  

  Higher education institutions in the Slovak Republic are obliged to apply for assessment of their internal quality assurance system at least once in six years. A positive decision of SAAHE results in “self- accrediting” status, i.e. right to create a new study programme in a particular study field and cycle listed in the decision. Negative decision results in corrective measures.
  

  Besides, higher education institutions may apply to SAAHE for accreditation of an individual study programme in a study field and cycle in which they do not have the “self-accrediting” status.
  

  Branches of international higher education institutions are allowed to operate if they are accredited by their respective agency registered in EQAR and upon registration at the Ministry.

  • Accreditation of study programmes and higher education institutions.
    The higher education institution must apply for assessment of its internal quality system at least once in six years.

• EHEA key commitment

  Fully aligned with the ESG

  A fully functioning quality assurance system is in operation nationwide, in which all higher education institutions are subject to regular external quality assurance by an agency that has successfully demonstrated compliance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG) through registration on EQAR

  Map: implementation of the EHEA key commitment

• Cross-border quality assurance

  Recognising foreign agencies based on their own framework/requirements

  • Conditions for the agencies’ work (e.g. criteria to be used): Higher education institutions can apply for cross-border quality assurance through any agency listed in EQAR or being member of ENQA. However, the quality assurance procedure must evaluate whether the internal quality assurance system aligns with the national standards. This evaluation is mandatory, ensuring that all higher education institutions are assessed against the same standards, while other criteria may apply for voluntary procedures. The final decision based on external review report will be made by the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education - SAAHE.

  Map: recognition of cross-border quality assurance

• European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

  European Approach available to all higher education institutions

  Slovak higher education institutions can use the European Approach without additional criteria. Each higher education institution could apply for:
  

  • ​Accreditation of a single joint study programme by SAAHE, or
    
  • Accreditation of a single joint study programme by an external EQAR-registered agency, or
    
  • Use of institutional accreditation if all partner institutions posses institutional accreditation rights.
    

  Map: availability of the European Approach for QA of Joint Programmes

• Permalink
  https://data.deqar.eu/country/156
• Further information

  • Act No. 269/2018 on quality assurance of higher education (in Slovakian)

  • Act No. 131/2002 on higher education (in Slovakian)

  • Ministry responsible for higher education

  • Slovak Republic - European Higher Education Area

  • ENIC NARIC

Registered agencies operating in Slovakia