International student FAQ at RSU

You’ll find practical information about degree recognition, accreditation, admission periods, transfers, tuition fees, exams, and everyday study matters. If you’re unsure how studying at RSU works or what to expect before and during your studies, this section is a good place to start.

Where can I find the specific requirements, curriculum, and literature for my courses?

To understand exactly what is expected of you, it is crucial to familiarise yourself with the official course descriptions. Every study course listed on the RSU website includes a detailed PDF document. These documents provide extensive, course-specific information, including the full curriculum, specific attendance rules, examination formats, and the required reading list. Reviewing these PDFs is your first step in preparing for the academic workload.

What is the mandatory attendance policy if I am sick?

Medical education requires strict professional accountability, making class attendance mandatory. If ill, you must submit valid medical paperwork (e.g., an E-veselība extract or stamped GP document) and coordinate with your professor to reschedule your attendance with another study group.

Can I take a planned absence or travel home during the semester?

If you have a foreseeable scheduling conflict, you can apply for a "planned absence" in advance. Crucial advice for international students: Do not book flights home at the end of the semester until you are absolutely certain you have passed all your subjects and do not need to sit for any examination retakes.

How are large examinations conducted?

To ensure absolute fairness, RSU is rolling out centralised exams where the entire semester cohort takes the exact same exam simultaneously in our Great Hall.

What is the retake policy if I fail an exam or study course?

While failing an exam is stressful, you are usually granted an extension for a second attempt, and sometimes a third paid attempt. The most important step you can take is booking a consultation with your professor so they can help you understand how to improve. However, if you ultimately fail the course, our progression policy is strict: you cannot advance to the next semester until the failed course is passed. You will need to take a repeat semester to complete that specific subject, though you will only be charged for the course you are actively retaking, not full tuition.

What support is available if I struggle with the heavy academic workload?

RSU provides a comprehensive safety net for our students. We have a dedicated Guidance and Well-being Centre, and professors offer individual consultations to help you master the material. Crucially, you are not alone among your peers. The International Student Association (ISA) and our senior student mentors provide a robust peer-to-peer support system. However, this safety net requires student agency. The system only works if you speak up and communicate your difficulties early.

Why does the university have such strict academic integrity rules?

We view academic integrity not just as a university rule, but as the foundation of patient safety. There is a direct correlation between taking shortcuts in medical school and altering patient data or making prescribing errors as a doctor. We distinguish between unintentional referencing errors (which result in a warning, a requirement to rewrite, and a lower grade) and deliberate fraud, such as data falsification, cheating on exams, or using essay mills. Severe or repeated violations are escalated to the Dean and Rector and can result in instant failure or expulsion from the university. We maintain this rigour because our goal is to develop exceptionally skilled and reliable healthcare professionals.

How does RSU ensure the quality of its professors and study courses?

RSU constantly updates and refines its curriculum. We heavily rely on student voices to drive this improvement, which is why filling out course evaluations is mandatory for students. We take this feedback seriously to help professors adapt. Through the Centre for Educational Growth, we provide pedagogical support to our lecturers. While the academic rigour is high, we expect our teaching staff and students to work together constructively to build the best possible study environment.

Is learning Latvian mandatory for clinical rotations?

RSU is highly supportive of international students, but learning the local language is a critical part of medical training here. In your first two semesters, there is a mandatory Latvian language course, and Latvian medical terminology is taught in later semesters. You will need this foundation when interacting with local patients starting in Year 3. However, professors are always present on the wards to assist with translation and ensure you gain hands-on clinical experience.

Can I complete my clinical rotations outside of Latvia?

Beyond Riga, RSU offers extensive clinical mobility opportunities. German students, for example, have the option to transition to the Elbe Klinikum in Stade starting from Year 4. Additionally, students can utilise Erasmus+ exchange programmes to complete study semesters or specific clinical traineeships at our partner universities and hospitals across Europe. Furthermore, we heavily encourage students to complete their final Year 6 clinical rotations back in their home countries to ensure a seamless transition into residency.

Is Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) a private or public university?

RSU is a public state-founded and state-recognised higher education institution that implements state-accredited study programmes (in conformity with EC Directives) that are subjected to regular re-accreditation procedures.

Is RSU on the list of medical schools published by the World Health Organization?

RSU is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.

Is RSU accredited by the EU? Are the degrees acquired at RSU recognised in the EU and the EEA member states?

There is no centralised EU accreditation for universities in Europe. The universities, including RSU are accredited locally by the Ministry of Education and Science with international experts present. RSU study programmes receive official accreditation every six years. In addition, all RSU study programmes in regulated professions, including Medicine and Dentistry, are developed according to EU directives on regulated professions.

Secondly, since Latvia has been an EU member state since 2004, The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, usually referred to as the Lisbon Convention, applies to Latvian universities as well, which includes RSU. Besides many others, the main point of the Lisbon Convention is as follows: holders of qualifications issued in one EU member state shall have adequate access to an assessment of these qualifications in another EU member state.

EC Directives to be considered are as follows:

In short - being an officially accredited state University plus the Lisbon Convention ensures that qualification obtained in RSU is recognised in all EU and EEA member states.

Is RSU accredited according to WFME standards, and can I take the USMLE?

Yes. RSU is accredited by an agency recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). Because we hold this WFME-recognised accreditation, our graduates meet the requirements set by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). This ensures RSU graduates are fully eligible to sit for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and apply for residency programmes in the US and other countries with similar standards.

What is the difference between September and February admissions?

RSU has two admissions per year – September and February (incoming students are admitted every semester). Usually, only study programmes “Medicine” and “Dentistry” are offered in both admissions. All other RSU study programmes in English are only offered in the September admission.

There is no difference between both admissions and between the study programmes offered, except for the start date and, accordingly, also the date of graduation as well as the number of incoming students admitted. Regardless of the admission, you would be starting the full study programme from the very beginning. If, for instance, you start your studies in February 2024 and continue studying without semester retakes, you would graduate from the study programme “Medicine” in February 2030. If you start your studies in September 2024 and continue studying without semester retakes, you would graduate from the study programme “Medicine” in June 2030.

September admission is regarded by applicants as a standard admission since study years in most countries of the world usually start in September or October. However, there are a number of countries and educational systems where, because of discrepancies between RSU deadlines and the time when the final high school diploma is issued, applicants cannot start their studies at RSU in September. For them, February admission is a solution and an option that is being offered. Moreover, students who apply for September admission may have unexpected health, family, budget, etc. reasons not to start studies in September. For them also having February admission is a perfect opportunity not to wait one full year for the next admission but only a couple of months.

Are degrees acquired at RSU recognised outside the EU and EEA?

Degrees acquired at RSU are accredited in a number of non-EU/EEA countries. Recognition of education obtained abroad is done by ENIC/NARIC in each specific country. Please see here for the relevant institutions and/or contact the Medical Council of the country you are interested practicing in.

What is the equivalent of an MD degree from the UK?

The degree acquired at RSU (MD) is equivalent to MBBS and one year of internship in the UK.

Is it possible to transfer to/from RSU?

It is possible to transfer to RSU from any other university.

After submitting a complete application, the director of the respective study programme will review the relevant academic documents for transfer and the compatibility with the RSU study programme the applicant wants to transfer to. The subjects are eligible for credit transfer if the following criteria are met - subjects have:

The same or higher number of credit points (ECTS) for the subject in question;
Equivalent subject content.

More information on the RSU website section - Transfer students.

I have an MD degree from a non-EU country, but I wish to obtain a degree recognised in the EU and EEA. Can I do that at RSU?

Due to EU and EEA regulations, no study/credit transfer is possible to RSU from a university outside the EU/EEA zone. Thus, you can acquire a degree recognised in the EU and EEA only if you study the entire degree programme (for instance, a bachelor's study programme in Medicine is a six-year programme).

If you do not wish to receive the RSU MD diploma, but are interested in master's studies, please be informed that master's studies at RSU are held in the Latvian language. If you do not have high-level Latvian language skills, you cannot undergo specialisation at RSU.

Are there any additional costs apart from the tuition fee?

There is an application fee of EUR 100.00, which is non-refundable and to be paid when applying for studies.
In addition, once you have been officially enrolled, you must pay:
- A registration administration fee of EUR 1800.00 (non-refundable), payable in accordance with the provisions of International Study and Research Fund LLC, a daughter enterprise and partner of RSU. The registration administration fee is only required from students who are starting their studies in the Medicine and Dentistry study programmes.

Do I receive any money back if I interrupt my studies at RSU?

It is possible to receive a part of the tuition fee back, which will be calculated individually depending on how long you have studied; however, it shall not exceed the amount set in the study contract. For more information, please see here.

Do I need to buy all the books that are given in the book list before starting my studies at RSU?

The book list contains all recommended books, but it is not necessary to buy them. You can start the studies, discuss with your professors which books will be essential and purchase the necessary books during the first month of the studies.

Your own copy of an Anatomy Atlas (with Latin terminology) is a mandatory requirement.

A limited number of books is available at the RSU Library.

More questions?

Write to admissionsrsu[pnkts]lv or contact RSU International Student Ambassadors.