SUMMARY
Relevance of the problem under study is caused by need of the organization of the process of studying in the conditions of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and orientation of students to self-educational activity. The purpose of the article is in proving efficiency of programs of self-educational activity within a new system of studying. The leading approaches to research of this problem are person-oriented and information approaches, the theory of educational activity, the concept of values, motives, orientations of professional activity, the theory of self-educational activity. The main results of research are that orientation of students to self-educational activity within ECTS promotes activation of students’ individual work in the development of an educational program; it develops skills of self-educational activity. The main characteristics of self-education are presented in the article, its levels are allocated, classification of motives of students’ self-education is given. The special attention is paid to the needs of the development of special courses and carrying out students’ individual work and students’ individual work under the teacher’s supervision. Materials of the article can be useful to the experts working in higher educational institutions, to students and all who are connected with the field of education.