The Ministry of Education has developed and approved requirements for interdisciplinary educational (scientific) programs of higher education. The document has already passed the state registration procedure at the Ministry of Justice and entered into force on April 16, 2021.
As reported by the department, the development of such programs in Ukraine will open new professional and academic rights to future specialists and contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the national higher education system as a whole.
An educational (scientific) program is considered interdisciplinary if the volume of educational components in credits of the European credit transfer and accumulation system, which can be correlated with the relevant specialties (branches) that define its subject area, is approximately the same.
Such a program involves mastering knowledge that is on the border of fields of knowledge, specialties or belongs to several specialties that determine its subject area.
The requirements were developed taking into account the features of interdisciplinary (extended) educational programs of the initial level (short cycle) of higher education and interdisciplinary educational and scientific programs of the second (master's) and third (educational and scientific) levels.
Interdisciplinary – extended – educational programs can be developed at the initial level (short cycle) of higher education. They are introduced with the aim of forming learning outcomes common to a group of specialties belonging to one or two fields of knowledge, as well as promoting the informed further choice of a specialty by the student for continuing education.
At the second (master's) and third (educational and scientific) levels of higher education, interdisciplinary educational and scientific programs can be developed in two or three specialties belonging to one or different fields of knowledge. Their goal is to train specialists who are able to solve complex problems in conditions of uncertainty and ensure the further development of scientific knowledge.
The specified requirements are subject to consideration by educational institutions and scientific institutions that prepare and implement educational programs, NAMELY and independent higher education assessment and quality assurance institutions that accredit interdisciplinary educational and scientific programs.
