Additional education in the Republic of Azerbaijan covers the areas of professional development, retraining education, internships and employee development, higher education and secondary special education for professional development, graduate education, and adult education.

Additional education is carried out in advanced training institutions, relevant structures established in educational institutions, vocational training courses, and other institutions whose activities in this field have been specially approved.

Professional development education is a direction of additional education. It allows the citizens with a state certificate of completion of any of the levels of higher, secondary, and primary vocational education to involve in continuous education and is provided by additional educational institutions.

The main purpose of professional development education is to raise and improve the level of intellectual and vocational training of each employee, to adapt to constantly changing and updated working conditions, to ensure active and effective participation in the social, economic, political, and cultural life of the country. 

Training modules for professional development education:

The number of modules and the minimum amount of training hours required for the modules is determined by the central executive authorities, municipalities, and private entities.

Retraining is a form of additional education that fulfills the desire of every citizen who has received basic vocational training and works in a certain field of labor to acquire a new profession and specialty in the relevant field and serves to meet the real demand for staff more dynamically and flexibly. This form of education is additional education provided to specialists, given that the difference between the initial basic education programs and the basic education program of the specialty to be re-acquired does not exceed one hour per academic year. The difference between the programs is determined by the retraining institution.

Internships and employee development education are aimed at improving the level of professionalism and quality of work, the formation and development of professional skills, combining theoretical knowledge with practice, gaining experience in applying new technologies and innovations.

Internships and employee development education include the following processes or activities:

Higher education and secondary special education for professional development is a type of additional education provided to specialists when the difference between the initial basic vocational education program and the basic education program of the re-acquired specialty is more than one hour per academic year. The difference between the programs is determined by the institution providing second higher education and secondary special education.

Graduate education serves to meet the real demand for higher education more dynamically and flexibly. If the difference between the initial basic education program and the bachelor's degree program in the specialty to be re-acquired is not less than the number of hours calculated for 1 academic year and not more than the number of hours calculated for 2 academic years, the sub-bachelor is allowed to receive additional education.

Adult education is a type of additional education that ensures citizens are constantly adapting to changes in society and the economy. This direction of additional education is implemented due to the need for retraining, adaptation to new conditions, and the creation of new employment opportunities for a large part of the working population to be competitive in the labor market.