TEACHING FORMAT

Teaching at the university is carried out on the basis of credit system.

EDUCATIONAL REFORMS AND CREDIT SYSTEM

The current educational reforms are due to the so-called Bologna process which is connected with the name of the University of Bologna, Italy, the first European university founded in 1088/89. During the celebration of the 900th anniversary of that university, on September 18, 1989, the Bologna process began. On June 19, 1999, the Bologna Declaration was adopted by the Ministries of Education of 29 European countries signaling the need to develop new educational standards and to create a common European Higher Education Area.

The main directions of the Bologna process are:

• Mutual recognition of educational degrees (adoption of an easy-to-read-comparable degree system);
• Adoption of a three-level system of higher education (bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral) system;
• Establishment of a credit system (ECTS: European Credit Transfer System);
• Promotion of mobility of students, scientific, pedagogical and administrative staff;
• Adoption of European standards in the field of quality assurance of preparation of specialists,
• Acknowledging the importance of continuing education;
• Involvement of universities and  students,
• Enhancing the attractiveness of European higher education
• Providing interaction between the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)  and European Research Area (ERA).

The participants of the Bologna process defined credits accumulation and  transfer system, which allows easy transfers from one university to another, from one country to another, and in case of change of profession, the credits of all the courses related to the new profession are taken into account.

The minimum sum of the knowledge of all the students in the given profession should be common to all.

How is the student’s work and the acquired knowledge measured? It was decided to accept the credit as a unit of work done by the student. Credit indicates the amount of work a learner has done on mastering a given subject, expressed in hours. Credit is therefore the time allotted to the subject in a lecture room, laboratory, library, at practical trainings, during internships, independent, extracurricular activities, for preparation for an exam and passing it. In other words, credit is all the time a learner spends studying the subject.

According to the Bologna requirements, 30 hours corresponds to one credit, and, as mentioned, the whole time allotted to the subject is taken into account, and not only the class hours. The student completes about 30 credits during one semester, 60 credits during one academic year. You need 180-240 credits to get a bachelor’s degree and 60-120 credits to get a master’s degree. To complete the credits, the student must be provided with information on how many credit points are assigned for each course.

The list of compulsory and optional courses defined for each specialty, their credit weight, the conditions and the order of successful completion of the courses can be found in the dean’s office as well as from the lecturer of each subject and on the university website.

The Bologna documents clearly state all the factors that are not included in the idea of ​​credit. For example, the complexity of the subject, the importance for the given profession, the direction, etc., are not measured by credit. Credit is measured only by the amount of time allocated to the subject. To measure the degree of subject mastering, an estimate is used, which indicates the degree of mastery of the subject. The student who gets “satisfactory” or “excellent” gets the same credit. It should be noted that in order to receive the credit an entire course must be completed. For example, one cannot pass half of the 4-credit course and receive 2 credits. The number of credits for the subject is the same for everyone, regardless of progress.

For the convenience of students the learning process can be divided into modules, relatively small components which the subject, the block of subjects, etc. consist of. The module is the minimum independent unit of the course to which a credit is given.

During the study the student acquires knowledge, develops abilities and acquires skills. In the description of each subject find the “Learning Outcomes” section which answers the question “What does a student need to know to be able to get a positive grade?”

The credit is given to the student as a result of the assessment. The credit is given only in case of receiving a positive grade. A student can use the credit earned once in a lifetime.

The two main features of a credit accumulation and transfer system are:

1. a) The credit can be transferred
2. b) Credit can be accumulated.

The principle of credit transfer means that the learner can always present the credits he / she has received to any university in any country that has joined the Bologna Process and they will be counted as the “capital” of his / her knowledge. This means that by submitting his / her credits the person proves that he / she has already passed the course and there is no need to repeat it.

The credit received is human property, it has no “expiration date” and can be used at any time. One can study for decades and finally get all the necessary credits and get a qualification.

49 countries have joined the Bologna Process. The main goal of the process is to give each specialist the opportunity to apply the qualification he / she received in the general educational field. Such an educational field is beneficial for both students, graduates, and universities and states. In addition to the mandatory requirements, each country or university has a certain freedom to include in the curriculum the material that it deems necessary based on its own preferences and opportunities, which, in its opinion, will contribute to the high professionalism and competitiveness of the graduates.

By joining the Bologna Process (2005) Armenia has taken certain steps towards integration into the Common European Higher Education Area.

The educational reforms conditioned by the Bologna process are successfully carried out at “Urartu” University.

The students of the university acquire knowledge in accordance with the state educational standards from the humanities and socio-economic subjects, general and special professional subjects, acquire skills of practical psychology, abilities to perform scientific research. The acquired modern professional knowledge and skills enable the graduate to work successfully in various state, public and private spheres, in international organizations. The best graduates can continue their studies in the postgraduate program of the university.

ACCEPTANCE AND CONDITIONS OF LEARNING

For admission it is necessary to submit:

• Application
• Certificate (original) or copy of diploma
• Copy of passport
• 6 photos / 3 × 4 /

There is a preparatory department at the university. The education is organized on a paid basis, there is a system of discounts according to the order established by the university.

Applicants with more than 38 points in the first year entrance exams of the university are admitted with a 50% discount on the tuition fee.

Based on the results of the annual progress of each year of studies on a competitive basis students are transferred from paid to free system, according to the procedure established by the university.

Applicants with higher professional education are admitted to the 3rd or 4th year and college graduates to the 2nd year by interview.

The excellent graduates of the university are admitted with a 25% discount on the master’s degree tuition.

Personal and incentive scholarships are established for students who excel at the university,in research and social activity.

At the same time university students can study in the 2nd specialty of higher education (specialization) with a 50% discount on tuition fees.

DISCOUNTS

Students can apply for a tuition discount if they meet one of the following points:

• A member of a family affected by the war
• A resident of a remote area more than 50 kilometers from Yerevan
• Armenian resident of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon
• Those with special needs
• Employee of the Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces and Ministry of Emergency Situations of RA