Strategic Directions for the Development of Education in BiH, as well as all strategic documents of the competent education authorities prescribe mandatory continuing professional development of academic staff.

Entry to the Profession

Assistants are selected among the most successful students. Assistant at the university shall be appointed in accordance with the regulations of the competent ministries of education.

Professional Status

Academic staff at universities are public servants and as such their employment is in line with the legislation on public service and higher education legislation, collective agreements and the like.

Salaries

Salaries for academic staff are funded from the budget of the relevant educational authorities or from their own revenues. The salary is regulated by the law on salaries.

Working Time and Holidays

In accordance with the Collective Agreement, 40-hour workload of academic staff consists of lectures, exercises, seminars, field work, consulting, mentoring, programme review, term papers, examinations, preparation, training in teaching skills, work in the faculty council, working in university committees, scientific and research work and scientific development. BiH has no law on holidays at the state level, and the laws which were adopted at the level of entities and cantons are respected. According to the Law on Holidays of the Republic of Srpska, republic holidays in RS are: Republic Day, New Year's Day, International Labour Day, the Day of Victory over Fascism, Day of Establishment of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and religious holidays are: Orthodox Christmas, Catholic Christmas, Eid al-Adha, Catholic Easter, Orthodox Easter and Eid al-Fitr. People celebrate them dependng on the nationality they belong to. According to the Law on Holidays In the Federation of Bonia and Herzegovina, days off in FBiH are: New Year's Day, International Labour Day, Independence Day of BiH and National Day of BiH. Religious holidays in the Federation of BiH entitle people to two days off, and include: Eid al-Adha, Orthodox Christmas, Catholic Christmas, Catholic Easter, Orthodox Easter and Eid al-Fitr, or depending on affiliation.

Promotion, Advancement

HEIs require two types of academic levels: firstly, the appropriate scientific degree, and secondly, scientific and educational level that relates to teaching vacancy at HEIs which was acquired by appointment procedure carried out by HEIs independently through the competition advertisements. The method of determining whether a particular candidate meets these requirements and has the required mental or physical traits is prescribed by the statute of HEIs or other organizational documents. Associate Professor at HEI shall be appointed in accordance with the statute of HEIs and regulations of relevant educational authorities.

Teaching titles at higher education institutions are: scientific-teaching, artistic-teaching and teaching.

(2) Scientific-teaching and artistic-teaching titles are: assistant professor, associate professor and full professor.

(3) Teaching titles are: high school lecturer and high school professor.

(4) Teachers in the scientific-teaching and artistic-teaching profession may teach in all types of academic and vocational studies.

(5) Teachers in the teaching profession may teach in the first cycle of vocational studies.

(6) Scientific-teaching and artistic-teaching titles may be acquired only at the university.

(7) Scientific and research titles may be acquired at the university, in accordance with the regulations governing scientific research and the statute of the university.

(8) Associate titles at the university are: assistant, artistic associate, senior assistant, senior artistic associate and lecturer, and at the high school assistant and artistic associate.

Retirement and Pensions

Full-time professors usually retire at 65 years of age, unless they are engaged further, if required, and in accordance with the law.