Although the study of public sector corruption has gained momentum in recent years, knowledge gaps remain in the theoretical understanding of systemic corruption in the post-secondary educational context. This thesis intends to outline a broad systemic corruption framework which includes both indicators of corruption and drivers that facilitate its development. Factors such as the attitudes towards corruption, economic development, competition with the private sector, the degree of discretion and the opportunity spaces, are explored to develop hypothesis about the causes and possible solutions to systemic corruption. The thesis grounds the framework in the analysis of Ukraine’s tertiary education sector as its case study. The public post-secondary institutions in Ukraine have been subject to anti-corruption efforts, but have remained largely immune to them. The argument is that reforms and anti-corruption efforts in any sector must identify and address all of the facilitative factors if they are to be successful. / Graduate