Types and levels of studies

Since academic year 2007/08 studies at the University of Banja Luka are organized according to Bologna Process. This includes three cycle study system: 1st cycle, 2 cycle and 3rd cycle of studies, ECTS evaluation system of subjects and total student load, usually one semester subjects, continuous assessments, interactive and practical teaching etc. 

Nowadays, at the University of Banja Luka, 58 study programs are performed in the 1st cycle. 

There are even more in the 2nd cycle, because at that level studies are more focused on specialist areas. As a rule of thumb, faculties which i the 1st cycle have less number of programs, usually in the 2nd cycle have more. The list of licensed study programs and faculties, at which education process is performed, is given in the following table. The model that dominates is 4+1, i.e. model with four year 1st cycle studies and one year 2nd cycle studies. Model 3+2 is present in 12 study programs. 

Lately, at the University, joint multidisciplinary study programs realized in cooperation with multiple faculties or in cooperation with other universities are established. This is common for 2nd and 3rd cycle of studies which are connected with scientific research. It is a result of European strategy on multidisciplinary researches in which the advantage of integrated university may come to the fore. 

It is considered that noticeable research results can be accomplished by changing one field of interest with another, where knowledge of different disciplines is intertwined.

Curriculum and the content of subjects are periodically improved in order to objectively determine their ECTS value and improve learning outcomes. They are developed in such way as to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines and if possible to adapt the interdisciplinary work. More improvements are planned – such as synchronization of some subjects from different study programs in order to create conditions for inner mobility of students and to perform activities on the University more rationally.