Grading conventions

The lowest grade (mark) in Moldovan educational system is 1, the highest is 10. To pass a course, a subject, or an exam, the student must obtain a mark of 5 or more.

Types

As of 2007-2008 academic year, Moldova had ten types of primary and secondary schools:

• Primary schools, grades 1-4
• Gymnasium
  Gymnasium (school)
  A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
  
  s, grades 1-9
• Lyceum
  Lyceum
  The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
  
  s, grades 1-12, Bacalaureat
  Baccalauréat
  The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
  
   exam
• General schools, grades 1-11, no Bacalaureat exam, cannot continue with higher education
• Evening schools
• Schools of trades, 1 year (grade 12), no Bacalaureat exam, cannot continue with higher education
• Vocational school
  Vocational school
  A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
  
  s, 3 years (grades 10-12), no Bacalaureat exam, but can continue with higher education
• Vocational lyceums, 3 years (grades 10-12), Bacalaureat exam
• Colegii, 2 to 3 years, no Bacalaureat exam, but can continue with higher education
• Special schools
  Special education
  Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
  
  , grades 1-11, no Bacalaureat exam, cannot continue with higher education

Secondary education in Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
Type of school	2007-2008			2008-2009
	number of schools	number of students	average # of students per school per grade	number of schools	number of students	average # of students per school per grade
Primary schools	94	11,600	30.9	N/A	N/A	N/A
Gymnasiums incl. boarding schools for orphans	678 N/A	108,900 N/A	17.8 N/A	N/A 19	N/A 5,832	N/A 27.9
Lyceums	471	259,100	45.8	N/A	N/A	N/A
General schools	254	77,100	27.6	N/A	N/A	N/A
Evening schools	7	1,800	23.4	N/A	N/A	N/A
Schools of trade incl. for hearing and visually disabled	23 N/A	3,284 N/A	142.8 N/A	15 2	N/A N/A	N/A N/A
Vocational schools	50	19,347	129.0	50	N/A	N/A
Vocational lyceums	2	1,875	312.5	2	N/A	N/A
Colegii	49	31,507	214.3	45	N/A	N/A
Special education	37	4,000	9.8	41	5,487	12.2
Total	1,665	518,513	33.0	N/A	N/A	N/A

Language of secondary education in Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
Academic year	Moldovan Moldovan language Moldovan is one of the names of the Romanian language as spoken in the Republic of Moldova, where it is official. The spoken language of Moldova is closer to the dialects of Romanian spoken in northeastern Romania, and the two countries share the same literary standard...	Russian Russian language Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...	Other language of instruction	Total number of students
2000–2001	528,100	144,400	1,400	673,900
2001–2002	518,700	140,100	1,500	660,300
2002–2003	508,600	133,000	1,400	633,000
2003–2004	492,800	127,900	1,300	622,000
2004–2005	473,900	119,700	1,200	594,800
2005–2006	455,400	114,300	1,400	571,100
2006–2007	437,100	109,000	1,300	547,400
2007–2008	415,300 80.08%	102,100 19.69%	1,300 0.25%	518,600 100%
Population of Moldova by ethnicity	2,638,125 77.98%	201,218 5.95%	543,989 16.08%	3,383,332 100%
Population of Moldova by native language	2,588,355 76.51%	380,796 11.26%	414,181 12.24%	3,383,332 100%
Population of Moldova by language of first use	2,543,354 75.17%	540,990 15.99%	298,988 8.84%	3,383,332 100%

Special education

Special education in Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
Type of school	2008-2009
	number of schools	number of students
Schools for students with locomotive deficiencies	2	367
Schools for hearing impaired	5	612
Schools for visually impaired	2	259
Schools for mental disabled	28	3,544
Schools for neuropsichical patients	2	670
Schools for heart and circulatory apparatus patients	1
Schools for underage with behavioral deviation	1	35
Total grades 1-11	41	5,487
Vocational schools for visually impaired	1	N/A
Vocational schools for hearing impaired	1	N/A

Higher education

In Moldova

Moldova

Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...

, there are 16 state and 15 private institutions of higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

, with a total of 126,100 student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s, including 104,300 in the state institutions, and 21,700 in the private ones. The number of students per 10,000 inhabitants in Moldova has been constantly growing since the collapse of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, reaching 217 in 2000-2001, and 351 in 2005-2006.

There are 6,200 faculty members in Moldova's universities

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 and college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

s (on average 1 faculty member per 20.3 students). Out of these, only 2,700 (43%) hold PhD degree

PHD

PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

s, including 358 (5.8%) that also hold the highest academic degree:
Habilitation

Habilitation

Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...

. Moldovan faculty members usually teach around 20 hours per week (one of the highest workloads in the world).

52.5% of students major in economics

Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...

, law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

, social sciences

Social sciences

Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...

, or in some fields that the Moldovan Ministry of Education calls on its website "professional formation fields", 18.4% study engineering

Engineering

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 and architecture

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

, 16.0% - education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

. There are a total of 90 specialities (majors) offered.

101,100 students, or 80.2%, pay for their studies (from 2,000 to 7,300 Moldovan lei

Moldovan leu

The leu is the currency of Moldova. Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency originates in Romania and means "lion".-History:...

 per year, i.e. from 120 to 430 euro

Euro

The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

s per year). The state is trying to increase the number of places offered free of charge when students are admitted to public universities: there were 5,085 in 2001, 5,290 in 2002, 5,628 in 2003, 6,354 in 2004, 7,048 in 2005, 7,835 in 2006, but this rate (54% over 5 years) is lower than the rate of increase (65% over the same period) in the total number of places. 15% of the free of charge places are reserved, and distributed to candidates from low-income families. In an effort to support them, the state gives scholarships to 70% of students who occupy the free of charge places, i.e. to 14.4% of the total number of students. As of January 1, 2006, these scholarships are in three categories: 210, 230, or 270 Moldovan lei per month, i.e. 12, 14, or 16 euros per month respectively.

78,4% of students study in Romanian

Romanian language

Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...

, roughly corresponding to its respective linguistic group, while 19,5% study in Russian

Russian language

Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

 (including members of other linguistic groups like Gagauz or Bulgarian). Foreign languages became increasingly less popular in recent years: 1,8% studied in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 or French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 during the 2010-2011 schoolyear, compared to 3,2% in 2006.

The National Council on Accreditation and Attestation is an organization that approves the examination programs for doctoral students, confers scientific degrees, and scientific and pedagogical ranks. The Council publishes online all PhD theses that are elaborated and defended in Moldova.

Public universities and colleges

1. State University of Moldova (Universitatea de Stat din Moldova), Chişinău
   Chisinau
   Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
   
   , str. Mateevici, 60, blocul 3
2. Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova
   Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova
   The Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova is a university located in Chişinău, Moldova.-Organization:The university is organized into six faculties:* Business Management and Administration...
   
    (Academia de Studii Economice a Moldovei), Chişinău, str. Bănulescu Bodoni, 51
3. Nicolae Testemiţanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy
   Nicolae Testemiţanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy
   Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy is a university located in Chișinău, Moldova. The institution began its activity in 1945. It is named after Nicolae Testemițanu....
   
    (Universitatea de Stat de Medicină şi Farmacie "N. Testemiţanu"), Chişinău,, bd. Ştefan cel Mare, 165
4. Technical University of Moldova
   Technical University of Moldova
   The Technical University of Moldova is a higher technical educational institution located in the Republic of Moldova, and is the only such institute in the country to be accredited by the state.-History:...
   
    (Universitatea Tehnică a Moldovei), Chişinău, bd. Ştefan cel Mare, 168
5. Agricultural State University of Moldova
   Agricultural State University of Moldova
   The Agricultural State University of Moldova is a university located in Chişinău, Moldova. It was founded in 1933....
   
    (Universitatea Agrară de Stat din Moldova), Chişinău, str. Mirceşti, 44
6. Ion Creangă Pedagogical State University
   Ion Creanga Pedagogical State University
   Ion Creangă Pedagogical State University is an educational institute in Chişinău , Moldova. It was formed in August 1940 as the Pedagogical Institute Moldovan State, being renamed the State Pedagogical Institute Ion Creanga in Chişinău in 1952, and receiving its current name on 21 May 1992...
   
    (Universitatea Pedagogică de Stat "I. Creangă"), Chişinău, str. I. Creangă, 1
7. Ştefan cel Mare Police Academy (Academia "Ştefan cel Mare" a Ministerului Afacerilor Interne), Chişinău, str. Gh. Asachi, 21
8. Alexandru cel Bun Military Institute (Institutul Militar al Forţelor Armate "Alexandru cel Bun"), Chişinău, str Haltei 21
9. National Institute of Physical Education and Sport (Institutul Naţional de Educaţie Fizică şi Sport), Chişinău, str. A. Doga, 24/1
10. Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts (Academia de Muzică, Teatru şi Arte Plastice), Chişinău, str. Mateevici, 87
11. International Relations Institute of Moldova (Institutul de Relaţii Internaţionale din Moldova), Chişinău, str. Puşkin 54
12. Alecu Russo State University (Universitatea de Stat "A: Russo"), Bălţi
    Balti
    Balti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
    
    , str. Puşkin, 38
13. Tiraspol State University (Chişinău) (Universitatea de Stat din Tiraspol (cu sediul în mun. Chişinău)), Chişinău, str. Iablocikin, 5
14. Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu State University (Universitatea de Stat "Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu"), Cahul
    Cahul
    -Demographics:According to the last Moldovan census from 2004 there were 35,488 people living within the city of Cahul and 1,317 people within Cotihana....
    
    , Piaţa Independenţei, 1
15. Comrat State University
    Comrat State University
    The Comrat State University in Moldavia is the successor of Gagauz National University, which hsd been founded by the decision of the Russian National Education Foundation and the Executive Committee of Comrat Regional Council of Deputies from February 11, 1991...
    
     (Universitatea de Stat din Comrat), Comrat
    Comrat
    Comrat is a city in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located at , in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. In 2004, Comrat's population was 23,429, of which the vast majority are Gagauzians.The name is of Turkic and Nogai origin...
    
    , str. Galaţan, 17
16. Taraclia State University (Universitatea de Stat din Taraclia), Taraclia
    Taraclia
    Taraclia is a city in south-eastern Moldova. It is the capital of Taraclia District. 28,293 of its 43,154 inhabitants are ethnic Bulgarians.The Taraclia State University, co-funded by Bulgaria and Moldova, was established in 2004...
    
    , str. Păcii 4

Private universities and colleges

1. Universitatea Liberă Internaţională din Moldova, Chişinău, str. Vlaicu Pîrcălab 52
2. Universitatea Cooperatist-Comercială din Moldova, Chişinău, bd. Gagarin, 8
3. Imi-Nova International Management Institute
   Imi-Nova International Management Institute
   Institutul Internaţional de Management "IMI – Nova" is an educational institution located in Chişinău, Moldova.-History:– was established by the Rector Valentin Railean on 25 April 2005 as a joint venture between some public and private institutions — three Moldovan academic institutions: the State...
   
    (Institutul Internaţional de Management "IMI - Nova), Chişinău
4. Institutul de Studii Politice şi Relaţii Internaţionale, Chişinău, str. Gheorghe Caşu 32
5. Universitatea de Studii Europene din Moldova, Chişinău, str. Iablocichin 2/1
6. Universitatea de Studii Aplicate din Moldova, Chişinău, bd. Ştefan cel Mare 200, bir. 109
7. Universitatea "Şcoala Antropologică Superioară", Chişinău, str. Zimbrului 10 "A"
8. Institutul Umanistic Contemporan, Chişinău, str.Albişoara 78/4
9. Academia de Transporturi, Informatică şi Comunicaţii, Chişinău, str. Munceşti 121a
10. Universitatea "Perspectiva - INT", Chişinău, str. Alba Iulia, 75
11. Universitatea Slavonă, Chişinău, str. Florilor 28/1
12. Institutul Nistrean de Economie şi Drept, Bălţi, str. Ştefan cel Mare 82
13. Filiala instituţiei nestatale de învăţămînt "Балтийский Институт Экологии, Политики и Права" din Moldova, Bălţi, str. Sorocii 21 (şcoala nr.3)
14. Universitatea Real-Umanistică din Cahul, Cahul, str. Victoriei 16

The curriculum

At present, the graduates get two types of diplomas: one type for fulfilling the curriculum and the Licence examination, and a second type, if in addition they write a Licence Diploma paper.

The Ministry of Education defines its strategic objective for higher education to be "the integration into the European common space for higher education, and active participation in its construction". In 2005 Moldova signed the commitment to implement the Bologna process

Bologna process

The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...

 agreements. In view of this, several changes have been operated since:

• reorganization from September 1, 2005 of the higher education into an undergraduate cycle of 3–4 years, and a master
  Master's degree
  A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
  
   cycle of 1-2 year
• commitment to copy European laws and adopt them wholesale
• elaboration and implementation of a Framework Plan for the first cycle (undergraduate)
• elaboration of a new Classification List of Specialities for the undergraduate cycle
• elaboration of an Implementation Guide for a to be National System of Transferable Credits, and institutionalization of this system in all universities and collegies
• implementation of the introduction of an educational record from in a unique European format, as a supplement to the Licence diploma

The Ministry of Education's declared objectives in taking these actions are:

• improvement of the quality of the country's higher education
• increasing the national and international mobility of students and faculty
• taking and implementing "European university education values" into the educational system of Moldova

The quality of the higher education has been declared a priority

Priority

Priority may refer to:* Priority date, a concept of establishing waiting times in the immigration process by United States Department of State* Priority level, the priority of emergency communications...

. In this context, a prime priority

Priority

Priority may refer to:* Priority date, a concept of establishing waiting times in the immigration process by United States Department of State* Priority level, the priority of emergency communications...

is declared to the implementation of the National Framework of Qualifications for Professional Formation, which will determine the "educational finalities and competences", the "compulsory minimum of realization in higher education", and will somehow facilitate the rise in "the quality of the preparation of graduates for the national edonomy", and will also somehow contribute to "ensuring the continuous rise of the quality of education".

Universities and collegies are told to start creating own "systems of internal management of quality", with the aim of "organizing the internal process of ensuring the quality, in accordance with national standards, and the demands of external evaluation systems".