Integrated undergraduate and graduate university courses (combining first and second-cycle programmes) usually last five or six years and earn students minimum 300 ECTS credit points. According to the Ministry of Science and Education’s Directory of Study Programmes (accessed on 10 December 2019) there were 65 university programmes of this type in Croatia in 2019. The completion of this programme normally results in a diploma and academic master’s degree, including a specialization. Students who complete integrated programmes of the first and second cycle in the fields of medical science, dental medicine, and veterinary medicine earn the academic title of a doctor, including their field of study. As with the other graduate studies, graduates may immediately enter the labour market, or resume studies in a postgraduate course.

Postgraduate specialist studies usually last one to two years. It is important to point out that these are not doctoral studies or third-cycle studies. Postgraduate specialist studies are level 7 of the European and Croatian qualifications framework and they are intended for those who have already completed graduate study programmes and want to expand their knowledge in a specific field, most often after they had gathered some work experience.

According to the Directory of Study Programmes (accessed on 10 December 2019), there were 298 postgraduate specialist university studies in Croatia in 2019. Students who complete them earn a diploma and the title of university specialist in their field. The completion of postgraduate specialist programmes in the fields of medical science, dental medicine, and veterinary medicine earns students the title of master of science, including the designation of their field. Titles awarded after postgraduate specialist programmes may be combined with titles obtained with graduate studies.