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Universities in Bhutan

Universities in Bhutan by City:

Bhutan

About universities in Bhutan

The education system in Bhutan has two components- the ecclesiastical oriented institutions and the state led general or secular education. In the past, education in Bhutan was mostly monastic in nature and was provided by the monasteries.  Those wishing to pursue higher education had to do so abroad. However, things changed subsequently and thanks to the western pattern of education that was introduced in the year 1950, the small country has a well structured educational system at present.

Higher education in the country is under the purview of the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for developing all aspects of education, including tertiary education.

Higher education in Bhutan is currently regulated by the Royal University of Bhutan, which was established in 2003 in cognizance with the need for developing a sound tertiary education system in the country. With its establishments, the public higher education institutes have been transferred from the various ministries to the Royal University of Bhutan. This was the first university in Bhutan, and it now administers under it colleges of education, natural resources, science &technology, along with specific colleges for business studies, and institutes of health sciences, management, indigenous medicine, cultural studies and a polytechnic. All the colleges in Bhutan maintain high standards of education in order to develop the youth of the country up to international standards.
 
At present the Royal University of Bhutan caters to 10 per cent of the total students passing out of class 12. These students are on full scholarships. The rest pursue higher education abroad, primarily in India. These students are also provided aid from the government.
 
Tertiary Education in Bhutan

The Tertiary Education that is administered in the country in accordance with the Tertiary Education Policy (TEP).
Higher education in Bhutan is the education offered after class XII, consistent with the International Standard Classification of Education [1997 edition] level 5 and above.
In order to get into the higher level of education, the Bhutanese students need to fulfill the following criteria:
 
  • The Class 12 passing out certificate along with the Certificate Level Course in different disciplines with at least 60 per cent marks.
  •  Course of Certificate level from any of the colleges in Bhutan under the affiliation of the RUB (Royal University of Bhutan).
Entrance examinations are conducted for candidates who are found eligible for the course, and admissions are granted on the basis of marks obtained.

Higher education at colleges in Bhutan is divided into the following:

Level 5A: Bachelor’s Programs in Bhutan are by and large theory-based and students who are aspiring to get into any research program can gather sufficient knowledge beforehand through this level.

Level 5B: At this level, students are provided practical technicalities and occupational expertise before they get into the labor market.

Level 6: Equivalent to master’s programs in Bhutan. At this level, students are taken through the advanced level of study and the actual research programs.

Level 5A and level B fall under the ambit of Higher Education in Bhutan. However, the other level, 5B does not.

There are three types of colleges in Bhutan – Constituent Colleges, Affiliated Colleges, and Autonomous Colleges. While the Constituent Colleges are the ones which form integral parts for the universities in Bhutan, affiliated colleges are institutions of tertiary education which do not fall under the domain of the Bhutanese universities, whereas, the Autonomous colleges are administered by a foreign university.