Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


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LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


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6

Level of professional qualification
Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.
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5

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are knowledge, skills and competences acquired during a certain period of learning.

In Latvia, learning outcomes are stipulated by state education standards and occupational standards (for the professional qualifications).

Learning outcomes of higher education are defined by higher education institutions.


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Master courses of general academic education, develop a set of skills,
abilities and attitudes required for the qualification of a software engineer;
Acquire knowledge and understanding of programming languages, software engineering,
software development technologies, object oriented programming, data structures and algorithms,
web technologies, software development project management, occupational protection and ergonomics,
application software use, operation systems and their use, data base technologies,
computer systems architecture and functions, rights and standards in IT;
Learn to use social, public presentation and team work skills as well as develop skills of critical thinking and ability to analyse problems;
Write and defend a graduation paper.

 

Programming engineer

  • Knowledge

    1. The KNOWLEDGE at the level of notion:
    1.1. labour protection and ergonomics;
    1.2. management of software development projects;
    2. The KNOWLEDGE at the level of understanding:
    2.1. economics and business;
    2.2. classification and use of the operating systems;
    2.3. computer system structure and functioning;
    2.4. computer technology;
    2.5. laws and regulations governing the information technology sector;
    2.6. software engineering;
    2.7. employment relationship;
    2.8. environmental protection;
    2.9. professional terminology in the official language and two foreign languages.
    3. The KNOWLEDGE at the level of use:
    3.1. two foreign languages at the communication level;
    3.2. mathematics;
    3.3. communication and professional ethics;
    3.4. classification and use of applications;
    3.5. programming languages;
    3.6. database technology;
    3.7. software development technologies;
    3.8. object-oriented programming;
    3.9. data structures and algorithms;
    3.12. internet technologies;
    3.11. official language.

  • Skills

    1. To use standards of the information technology industry.
    2. To use professional terminology in the official language and two foreign languages.
    3. To use operating system.
    4. To use text and graphics editors, etc. office applications.
    5. To participate in project management.
    6. To encode and debug programs.
    7. To apply design diagrams and charts.
    8. To design algorithms and data structures.
    9. To select appropriate means to carry out a task.
    10. To carry out data protection and security measures.
    11. To configure workplaces and work tools.
    12. To use software development tools.
    13. To analyse program code.
    14. To implement user interfaces.
    15. To use data requests languages.
    16. To measure software performance.
    17. To use good programming style.
    18. To use software testing techniques.
    19. To perform system design.
    20. To work in a team.
    21. To manage others.
    22. To perform work individually.
    23. To plan tasks and prioritize them.
    24. To use information search and selection means.
    25. To prepare presentation materials and events, host them.
    26. To persuade others and substantiate one’s opinion.
    27. To draw up business documents.
    28. To respect the principles of professional ethics.
    29. To observe labour protection requirements.
    30. To know the official language.
    31. To know two foreign languages at the communication level.

  • Competences/ autonomy

    1. Ability to encode, reading and understanding software design descriptions.
    2. Ability to encode, analysing input and output data.
    3. Ability to encode, configuring the development environment.
    4. Ability to encode, writing program code in accordance with design and coding guidelines.
    5. Ability to encode, constructing algorithms.
    6. Ability to encode, reading and analysing extraneous program texts.
    7. Ability to encode, creating user interface.
    8. Ability to encode, debugging programs and performing unit testing.
    9. Ability to encode, analysing program execution time and optimizing it.
    10. Ability to encode, documenting code.
    11. Ability to encode, creating software installation.
    12. Ability to encode through the built-in help system.
    13. Ability to encode, processing change requests and problem reports.
    14. Ability to design, reading and understanding software requirement specifications.
    15. Ability to design, getting acquainted with software design descriptive standards.
    16. Ability to design, creating and describing software architecture.
    17. Ability to design, analysing various technical solutions and choosing the most appropriate one.
    18. Ability to design, creating data conceptual and physical model.
    19. Ability to design, developing an implementation model (hierarchy of classes and/or functions).
    20. Ability to design, constructing and describing algorithms.
    21. Ability to design user interfaces.
    22. Ability to design, drawing up software design descriptive documentation.
    23. Ability to maintain software, reading and understanding the documentation and code of the system.
    24. Ability to maintain software, processing change requests and problem reports.
    25. Ability to maintain software, carrying out change impact analysis.
    26. Ability to maintain software, making changes in the software.
    27. Ability to maintain software through its configuration management.
    28. Ability to maintain software, systematizing support information gathered during maintenance.
    29. Ability to maintain software, consulting software users.
    30. Ability to implement software, preparing the environment for software installation.
    31. Ability to implement software, making data transfer.
    32. Ability to implement software, executing software installation and parameterization.
    33. Ability to implement software, getting acquainted with the user documentation.
    34. Ability to implement software, providing advice during software implementation.
    35. Ability to prepare software testing plan.
    36. Ability to prepare software testing specification.
    37. Ability to analyse software testing program code.
    38. Ability to prepare software testing test cases.
    39. Ability to prepare testing environment for software testing.
    40. Ability to execute software testing test cases.
    41. Ability to write down the process of software testing and prepare problem reports.
    42. Ability to analyse sources of error when testing software (requirements of the specification, design description, etc.).
    43. Ability to reproduce identified user errors during software testing.
    44. Ability to prepare software testing report documents.
    45. Ability to specify requirements by consulting with the customer’s software.
    46. Ability to specify requirements by analysing implementation options thereof.
    47. Ability to prepare user documentation with respect to user documentation standards.
    48. Ability to prepare user documentation with respect to user transaction terminology.
    49. Ability to prepare user documentation, writing and organizing user documentation text.
    50. Ability to prepare user documentation, harmonizing user documentation with the built-in help system (HELP).
    51. Ability to plan software projects, predicting labour-intensity and execution time.
    52. Ability to plan software projects through individual work planning and control.
    53. Ability to plan software projects, participating in negotiations regarding project implementation progress.
    54. Ability to plan software projects, developing programming guidelines.
    55. Ability to communicate in the official language and two foreign languages.

Qualification acquisition requirements

Previous education
Certificate of general secondary education or Diploma of vocational secondary education
Ways to acquire 
Qualifications can be acquired in the framework of education programs or in the evaluation and recognition of non-formal knowledge, skills and competences acquired (in vocational education LKI Levels 2-4).
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Formal (through education programmes)
ECTS credit points 
The unit of the volume of Latvian higher education studies - 1 credit point corresponds to one week of study work in full-time studies (40 credit points per study year).

1 The credit point of Latvia corresponds to 1,5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credit point.
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240
Duration of study 
Duration of qualification in full-time studies
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4 years

Qualification document

Awarding body

Higher education institution:

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Qualifications Framework level

EQF level

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).


Go to the Glossary section
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6

LQF level

Latvian Qualifications Framework (LQF) has 8 levels (1 – the lowest, 8 – the highest).

Levels reflect the complexity level of acquired knowledge, skills and competences (learning outcomes).

LQF covers stages of education starting from the basic education (level 1 – special basic education) to the highest education (level 8 – doctoral studies).


Go to the Glossary section
?

6

Level of professional qualification

Latvia has a system of five professional qualifications levels (PQL, 1 – the lowest, 5 – the highest).

PQL system covers only professional qualifications (basic education, secondary and higher education stages).

PQL reflects readiness of a person to perform work of certain stage of complexity and responsibility.


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5

Qualification field, stage and type

Thematic field (ISCED 2013)
International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) developed by UNESCO.
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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (061)

Detailed field: (ISCED 2013)

Software and applications development and analysis (0613)

Education
Stages of Latvian education system included in the LQF:
- basic education
- secondary education
- higher education
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Higher education

Qualification type
ITypes of Latvian education:
-General education
-Professional education
-Academic education
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Vocational

Full or partial

Full qualification

Sector Qualifications Structure: Electronic and optical equipment manufacturing, information and communication technology sector


Link to the descriptions of the Sector Qualifications Structure levels

Other information

National Education Information System

National Database of Education Opportunities

Active qualification

Period for issuing qualification: 2013-2023

Last changes: 16.09.2021

Posted: 07.05.2016