"QUALITY" OF STUDY PROGRAMMES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

In the modern competitive circumstances the question of the quality of each study programme and quality of the higher education in Latvia is becoming more and more urgent. During the last years the amount of higher education study programmes is increasing rapidly, but how to evaluate and compare their quality and contribution in the society and national economy? The mutual competition among the higher education establishments and the study programmes is increasing more and more, the higher education establishments have to evaluate their work thoroughly, but firstly it is important to answer the question: what exactly is the quality of education? And how to evaluate quality of study programme? What exactly affects the quality of study programmes and education? What assessment criteria can be used to evaluate if a study course or a study programme on the whole is qualitative? However, how to indicate, a study course or a study programme on the whole is qualitative? The aim of the author is to find out what characterises the quality of higher education study programmes. To do that, it is important to define what is considered to be the quality of higher education and how to assess it.