55-732: The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements between European countries to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher-education qualifications. The process has created the European Higher Education Area under the Lisbon Recognition Convention . It is named after the University of Bologna , where the Bologna declaration was signed by education ministers from 29 European countries in 1999. The process
110-460: A doctorat (PhD), which took at least three years. The DESS was created in 1975 for students who completed four-year degrees. Intended as a doctorate with a more practical approach than research, it included the production of a 120-page paper which was defended to a jury of three international specialists in the field. The mini-thesis was kept in the libraries of the university issuing the DESS, unlike
165-458: A thesis requirement (including final examination and thesis defence) and can be obtained after four to six years of study. In 2000 many curricula began to be converted into bachelor's degrees ( Bakkalaureat ; the term was replaced by "bachelor's" in most curricula by 2007) and master's ( Magisterstudium ) programmes, with nominal durations of six semesters (three years) and three to four semesters (18 months to two years) respectively. Enrollment in
220-499: A Ciclo Unico (Single-cycle Master's Degree) is awarded in medicine (Medicina) and dentistry (Odontoiatria). The title for BA and BS undergraduate students is Dottore and for MA, MFA, MSc, MD and MEd graduate students Dottore magistrale (abbreviated Dott. , Dott.ssa or Dr. ). This should not be confused with PhD and post-MA graduates, whose title is Dottore di Ricerca (Research Doctor). The Italian system has two types of postgraduate degree (called "Master", not to be confused with
275-523: A PhD dissertation (distributed by its author to every French university library). Higher education in France is also provided by non-university institutions dedicated to specific subjects. The Diplôme d'ingénieur (engineering diploma) is awarded to students after five years of study in state-recognized Écoles d'ingénieurs , particularly the Grandes Écoles such as Mines , Centrale and ENAC . Although
330-639: A PhD usually takes three years). A five-year degree, Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico (Single-cycle Master's Degree) is awarded in law (Giurisprudenza), in Primary teacher education (Scienze della Formazione Primaria), in Architecture (Architettura), in Pharmacy (Farmacia) and Pharmaceutical Sciences (Chimica e Tecnologia Farmaceutiche), as well as in visual arts ( Accademia di Belle Arti ) and music (Conservatorio di Musica). A six-year degree, Laurea Magistrale
385-555: A doctoral programme generally requires a master's degree in a related field. Although the nominal duration of doctoral programmes is two or three years, the time to graduate varies considerably and is generally longer. Armenia ratified the Bologna Process in 2005 and is a member of the European Higher Education Area. Azerbaijan is a full member of the Bologna Process since 2005. Belarus became
440-514: A master's degree as well. Strikes occurred in 2002 and 2003 and 2007 protesting LMD reform, focusing more on under-funding of French universities since May 1968 than on the Bologna Process. Although the two major student organisations object to some aspects of its application to the French system, they generally welcome the European process. Although Georgia joined the Bologna Process in 2005 at
495-512: A maximum of 60 ECTS credits of additional studies before beginning master's-level studies. In conjunction with the Bologna Process, polytechnics have the right to award master's degrees. In France the baccalauréat , awarded at the end of secondary education, allows students to enter university. Before the LMD reform amid the 2000s which implemented the Bologna Process, it was followed by a two-year Diplôme d'études universitaires générales (DEUG) and
550-674: A member of the European Higher Education Area at a conference in Yerevan , Armenia , in May 2015. In Croatia , implementation of the Bologna Process began during the 2005–2006 academic year. Diploma degree became baccalaureate (bachelor's degree, Croatian : prvostupnik ), and the programmes were shortened from four to about three years. Magisterij (master's degree) is achieved after two additional years of post-graduate study. The doktorat degree (doctorate) may be received after three more years (eight years total). The typical length of study
605-466: A third-year Licence (the equivalent of a UK bachelor's degree). Students could then pursue a Maîtrise, a one-year research degree which could be followed by a one-year vocational degree (the Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées or DESS) or research degree (the Diplôme d'études approfondies , or DEA ). The DEA, preparation for a doctorate, was equivalent to the M. Phil . Students could then pursue
SECTION 10
#1732765815086660-581: A two-year master's degree ( maisteri ). In these fields, the Bologna Process resulted in no change. In engineering, universities only offered a 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 -year master's program ( diplomi-insinööri ). This has been replaced by a three-year bachelor's degree ( tekniikan kandidaatti ) and a two-year master's degree ( diplomi-insinööri ), for which the English names are Bachelor of Science (Technology) and Master of Science (Technology). A corresponding change has been made in military higher education, where
715-571: Is based, not on the comparison of the content of the programs, but on the definition and validation of the targeted learning outcomes. From its origin, the need for a common quality assurance system arose in the EHEA. The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) was responsible for defining the standards and guidelines, which are broken down into 3 chapters: The Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus Programs are initiatives of
770-902: Is equivalent to two UK credits. Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Georgia 60 30 კრედიტები (kreditebi) Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Montenegro 60 ECTS-krediti Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state North Macedonia 60 кредити (ECTS) Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Russia 60 30 кредиты Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Scotland 120 (60 ECTS) 10 (20 hours per ECTS) SCQF credit points (2 SCQF points equal 1 ECTS point ) Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Serbia 60 30 ЕСПБ бодови / ESPB bodovi Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Turkey 60 25-30 AKTS - kredi Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Ukraine 60 30 кредити Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state See also [ edit ] Educational policies and initiatives of
825-421: Is three years for a bachelor's degree ( baccalaureus ), two years for a master's degree ( magistar ) and three years for a doctor of science ( doktor znanosti ). A local distinction is made between vocational and academic degrees at the baccalaureate level, and between engineering and other programs at levels below the doctoral. There are several exceptions. The first degree in economics still takes four years, and
880-623: The European Union to promote the mobility of students and teachers. They therefore primarily concern the 27 countries of the Union, with which other countries such as Norway, Iceland and Turkey have joined forces. Strictly speaking, these are not programs of the European Area, but they largely contribute to its development. In 2017, the European Union launched the "European Universities" initiative, aimed at "strengthening, throughout
935-665: The Licentiate (higher than a master's degree, but less extensive than Doctor of Medicine or Dentistry degrees) is the basic degree. A six-year program of at least 360 ECTS credits leads to the Licentiate of Medicine ( lääketieteen lisensiaatti ) degree. There is an intermediate title (but not an academic degree) of lääketieteen kandidaatti , and no master's degree. Polytechnic degrees are considered bachelor's degrees in international use. In domestic use, bachelors transferring from polytechnics to universities may be required to amass
990-551: The baccalauréat and doctorat are unchanged in the Bologna system (known in France as LMD reform), the DEUG and licence have been merged into a three-year Licence. The Maîtrise, DESS and DEA have been combined into a two-year master's degree, which can be work- ( master professionnel ) or research-oriented ( master recherche ). The Diplôme d'ingénieur degree is still separate from a university degree, but holders may legally claim
1045-457: The Bergen summit, steps towards the establishment of the European Higher Education Area were completed earlier. Since the end of the 1990s, many Georgian universities (mostly private) have introduced limited educational programs allowing students to graduate with a bachelor's degree (four years) and earn a master's degree (one to two years) while preserving the old five-to-six-year scheme. During
1100-569: The Bologna Agreement. The degree workload is counted in European credits, with a European equivalent of 180 credits (three years) for bachelor's degrees and 120 credits (two years) for master's degrees. Austria 's situation is similar to Germany's, with the lowest undergraduate degrees the Magister (FH) and Diplom (FH) (designed to take three or four years). The lowest graduate degrees are Magister and Diplom , which typically fulfill
1155-675: The Council of Europe, although it has observer status. Although Israel is not geographically part of Europe, it is part of the UNESCO European Region (although not a UNESCO member). Israel has also ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention but, under the criteria of the 2003 Berlin Communiqué , it is ineligible for the Bologna Process. Kosovo is not a party to the European Cultural Convention of
SECTION 20
#17327658150861210-499: The Council of Europe. Although Serbia is a party, Kosovo declared independence from it and has theoretically been a part of the Bologna Process since the Kosovo War . It was suggested that Kosovo could be associated with the process in a category appropriate to its situation, such as guest or special-observer status. Kyrgyzstan is not a party to the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe, although has also ratified
1265-638: The EHEA was meant to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent higher education systems in Europe . Between 1999 and 2010, all the efforts of the Bologna Process members were targeted to creating the European Higher Education Area, which became reality with the Budapest-Vienna Declaration of March 2010. In order to join the EHEA, a country must sign and ratify the European Cultural Convention treaty. Denmark
1320-476: The EU, strategic partnerships between higher education institutions and encouraging the emergence, by 2024, of some twenty European universities"; in fact, 64 European Universities alliances are now active all across Europe. These alliances are networks of diverse types of higher education institutions, which will allow students to obtain a diploma by combining studies in several EU countries and which will contribute to
1375-726: The European Union Bologna Process European Higher Education Area ECTS grading scale Carnegie Unit and Student Hour Erasmus Programme Academic mobility References [ edit ] ^ "ECTS Users' Guide" . Publications Office of the European Union. 2015. p. 10. ^ "European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) - Education and training - European Commission" . Education and training . ^ "ECTS User's guide" . Publications Office of
1430-868: The European Union This article is about ECTS-credits. For information about the ECTS grading system, see ECTS grading scale . The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ( ECTS ) is a standard means for comparing academic credits , i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. For successfully completed studies, ECTS credits are awarded. One academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS credits that are normally equivalent to 1500–1800 hours of total workload, irrespective of standard or qualification type. ECTS credits are used to facilitate transfer and progression throughout
1485-426: The European Union . 2015. ^ typical values which can vary between national systems, "academic year" is normative ^ "Article 8 - Arrêté du 22 janvier 2014 fixant le cadre national des formations conduisant à la délivrance des diplômes nationaux de licence, de licence professionnelle et de master" [Article 8 - Order of 22 January 2014 establishing the national framework for courses leading to
1540-623: The Lisbon Recognition Convention. Northern Cyprus is not a party to the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe and not recognized as an independent political entity by any member of the Bologna Process except Turkey. The basic framework is three cycles of higher-education qualifications . The framework adopted by the ministers at their meeting in Bergen in 2005 defines the qualifications in terms of learning outcomes, which are statements of what students know and can do on completing their degrees. In describing
1595-823: The National Tertiary Education Information Centre, 65 percent of respondents thought it unnecessary to adopt the system. The new system provides less of a guarantee that students will obtain a master's degree, because many will complete their education after the three-year bachelor's degree. Students are expected to study more unrelated subjects during the first three years, due to the smaller number of majors. In Iceland , bachelor's degrees are usually three years in duration; master's degrees are two years, and doctoral degrees range from three to six years. In Ireland , bachelor's degrees are commonly three to four years in duration; master's and doctoral degrees are basically similar to those in
1650-504: The Soviet era, the only degree was the discontinued Specialist. Cycles of higher education are divided into first (bachelor's degree with 240 credits ), second (master's degree, 120 credits) and third (doctorate, 180 credits). Human and veterinary medicine and dentistry (300–360 credits) are integrated programs with a qualification equal to a master's degree. Greece joined the Bologna Process in 1999. Since 2007, more-intensive steps towards
1705-587: The UK. Bachelor's degrees are first-cycle qualifications. Except for the MA at the Trinity College Dublin , a master's degree is always a postgraduate degree (teaching or research). The generic outcomes for Irish degrees are laid out in the 2003 National Framework of Qualifications. In 2006, Ireland was the first country to verify the compatibility of its national framework with that of the EHEA. Italy fits
Bologna Process - Misplaced Pages Continue
1760-1055: The Union. ECTS also includes a standard grading scale , intended to be shown in addition to local (i.e. national) standard grades. Current systems [ edit ] List of credits given in one year in European countries Country Credit points per year Hours per credit point Credit point name Status European Union (EU) 60 25-30 ECTS credits Austria 60 25 ECTS ( also ECTS-Punkte, ECTS credits) EU member state Belgium 60 25-30 ECTS ( also studiepunten, crédits, ECTS) EU member state Bulgaria 60 25-30 кредити EU member state Croatia 60 25-30 ECTS bodovi EU member state Cyprus 60 30 ECTS EU member state Czech Republic 60 26 kredity EU member state Denmark 60 28 ECTS-point EU member state Estonia 60 26 ainepunkt (EAP). Currently because many students are still used to
1815-461: The additional two years required for a master's degree. Mid-length (two-to four-year) professional degrees have been adapted as professional bachelor's degrees ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 years). In the Finnish pre-Bologna system, higher education was divided between universities and polytechnics . In universities, degrees were divided in most fields into a three-year bachelor's degree ( kandidaatti ) and
1870-674: The architecture of the European Higher Education system". The Bologna Process has 49 participating countries. Signatories of the Bologna Accord, members of the European Higher Education Area , are: All member states of the EU are participating in the process, with the European Commission also a signatory. Monaco and San Marino are the only members of the Council of Europe which did not adopt
1925-850: The award of national bachelor's, professional bachelor's and master's degrees]. Légifrance (in French). 22 January 2014. ^ "Credit point system" . Retrieved 27 November 2015 . ^ "Law of Higher education (in Latvian)" . 1 January 1995 . Retrieved 27 November 2015 . ^ "Norway's education system" . studyinnorway.no . Study in Norway. ^ "Richtlinien des Hochschulrates für die koordinierte Erneuerung der Lehre an den universitären Hochschulen der Schweiz im Rahmen des Bologna-Prozesses" . Retrieved 12 November 2018 . ^ "Erasmus Mundus credits" (PDF) . University of Salford. Archived from
1980-656: The cycles, the framework uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS): In most cases, it would take three to four years to earn a bachelor's degree and another one or two years for a master's degree . Doctoral degrees usually require another two to four years of specialization, primarily individual research under a mentor. Degree names may vary by country. One academic year normally corresponds to 60 ECTS credits, equivalent to 1,500–1,800 hours of study. The process, an intergovernmental agreement between EU and non-EU countries, does not have
2035-450: The establishment of the European Higher Education Area were completed. In Hungary , the Bologna system applies to those who began their university education in or after September 2006. One hundred and eight majors were available for selection (compared with over 400 in 2005), of which six are exempt from the bachelor's-master's division: law, human and veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and architecture. According to an online poll by
2090-503: The former and a master's and doctorate in the latter). In mainland Europe, five-year-plus first degrees are common. Many do not complete their studies, and many countries are introducing bachelor-level qualifications. The situation is evolving as the Bologna Process is implemented. Some countries introduced the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and discussed their degree structures, qualifications, financing and management of higher education and mobility programmes. At
2145-707: The framework since its 1999 adoption of the 3+2 system. The first degree is the Laurea triennale , which may be obtained after three years of study. Selected students may then complete their studies with two additional years of specialization leading to the Laurea Magistrale . The Laurea corresponds to a bachelor's degree; the Laurea Magistrale, corresponding to a master's degree, grants access to third-cycle programmes (post-MA degrees, doctorates or specialized schools) lasting two to five years (completing
2200-654: The general requirements established at national level, but it is offered under the autonomous responsibility of each university". European Higher Education Area The European Higher Education Area ( EHEA ) was launched in March 2010, during the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bologna Process . As the main objective of the Bologna Process since its inception in 1999,
2255-427: The institutional level, the reform involved higher-education institutions, their faculties or departments, student and staff representatives and other factors. Priorities varied by country and institution. In Andorra, degrees are awarded by the state in all three cycles (bachelor's, master's and doctoral). The University of Andorra has adapted its classroom studies to the European Higher Education Area in accordance with
Bologna Process - Misplaced Pages Continue
2310-537: The international competitiveness of European higher education. Participating member states of the European Higher Education Area are: Countries eligible to join: The two first sections are widely extracted from the French Misplaced Pages page Espace Européen de l'Enseignement Supérieur , with its list of authors European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Standard means for comparing academic credits across
2365-528: The master's degree is obtained after an additional year at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economics and Zagreb School of Economics and Management . The four-plus-one-year system also applies to fine arts and music. Medical and related studies replace the bachelor's degree with six-year first professional degrees and graduate Doctor of Medicine ( doktor medicine ) degrees. The old degrees are translated as follows: In May 2008, about 5,000 students protested weak funding, imprecisely defined new rules and
2420-406: The master's degree). Laurea Magistrale (120 ECTS) allows access to third-cycle programmes, and Master universitario (at least 60 ECTS) may be divided into first- (second cycle) and second-level master's degrees (third cycle). A first-level master's degree is accessible by a first-cycle degree and "does not allow access to PhD and to 3rd cycle programmes, since this type of course does not belong to
2475-402: The officer's degree was divided between bachelor's and master's programmes. Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences , which have offered bachelor's-equivalent engineering programmes, began offering master's-degree programs in 2005. Some Master of Engineering ( insinööri (ylempi AMK) ) programmes are taught in English. Only medicine and dentistry retain their non-standard degree structure, where
2530-2389: The older system the longer name 'euroopa ainepunkt' is more often used for clarity's sake EU member state Finland 60 27 opintopiste (op) / studiepoäng (Swedish) ( lit. study point ) EU member state France 60 25-30 crédits ECTS EU member state Germany 60 25-30 ECTS, Leistungspunkte (LP), Kreditpunkte (KP), Credit Points (CP) or Credits EU member state Greece 60 30 ECTS, Credit Points (CP), Μονάδες Φόρτου Εργασίας (Διδακτικές Μονάδες - Δ.Μ) or Credits EU member state Hungary 60 30 kredit (pont) EU member state Ireland 60 ECTS EU member state Italy 60 25-30 crediti formativi universitari ( CFU ) EU member state Latvia 60 30 ECTS kredītpunkts (1 "Latvian" credit point (kredītpunkts) equals 1.5 ECTS) EU member state Lithuania 60 28 kreditai; ECTS kreditai EU member state Luxembourg 60 ECTS EU member state Malta 60 25 ECTS-credits EU member state Netherlands 60 28 studiepunten (ECTS or EC) EU member state Poland 60 25-30 punkty ECTS EU member state Portugal 60 28 créditos ECTS EU member state Romania 60 30 credite (SECTS) EU member state Slovakia 60 25 kredity EU member state Slovenia 60 25-30 kreditne točke EU member state Spain 60 25-30 créditos (ECTS) EU member state Sweden 60 26.667 högskolepoäng (Used from July 2007) EU member state Iceland 60 25-30 einingar (units) EFTA member state Liechtenstein 60 EFTA member state Norway 60 25-30 studiepoeng EFTA member state Switzerland 60 25-30 ECTS-credits, Kreditpunkte (KP) EFTA member state Albania 60 30 Pikët ECTS Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state Bosnia and Herzegovina 60 25 ECTS bodovi Non-EU, Non-EFTA member state England, Wales and Northern Ireland 120 (60 ECTS) 10 (20 hours per ECTS) Credits. One ECTS credit
2585-619: The original (PDF) on 13 June 2007 . Retrieved 20 May 2012 . ^ "Higher education credit framework for England: guidance on academic credit arrangements in higher education in England" (PDF) . Quality Assurance Agency . Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2019 . Retrieved 1 May 2019 . ^ "SCQF Credit Points" (PDF) . Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework. p. 3 . Retrieved 5 December 2018 . ^ "ECTS and Course Load - Yükseköğretim Kurulu" . www.yok.gov.tr . Archived from
2640-516: The original on 13 March 2018 . Retrieved 4 November 2016 . Authority control databases [REDACTED] International VIAF 2 FAST 2 National Germany United States 2 Norway Israel Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Credit_Transfer_and_Accumulation_System&oldid=1256163525 " Categories : Academic transfer Educational policies and initiatives of
2695-693: The poor results of the Bologna reform. Denmark introduced the 3+2+3 system in 1971 with an education-management working group of the Society of Danish Engineers and a 1984–85 group of the Federation of Danish Industries, both headed by Hans Bruno Lund. Before the adoption of international standards, the lowest degree normally awarded at universities in Denmark was equivalent to a master's degree (Kandidat/cand.mag). Although bachelor's degrees have been obtained after three years of study, most students continue
2750-418: The process. The ESU , EUA , EURASHE , EI, ENQA , UNICE, the Council of Europe and UNESCO are part of the process' follow-up. Other groups at this level are ENIC , NARIC and EURODOC . Four countries, Israel , Kyrgyzstan , and the unrecognized Northern Cyprus and Kosovo , have applied to join but did not meet the membership criteria. Israel is not a party to the European Cultural Convention of
2805-402: The process. Most countries do not fit the framework, using their traditional systems. The process, which will result in bilateral agreements between countries and institutions which recognise each other's degrees, is moving from strict convergence in time spent on qualifications towards a competency-based system which will have an undergraduate and postgraduate division (with a bachelor's degree in
SECTION 50
#17327658150862860-547: The status of EU legislation. Since the Bologna Declaration is not a treaty or convention, there are no legal obligations for the signatory states; participation and cooperation are voluntary. Although the declaration was created without a formal affiliation with EU institutions, the European Commission (which has supported European projects such as the Tuning and TEEP projects) plays an important role in implementing
2915-510: Was issued at a meeting of university rectors celebrating the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna (and European universities) in 1988. One year before the declaration, education ministers Claude Allègre (France), Jürgen Rüttgers (Germany), Luigi Berlinguer (Italy) and Baroness Blackstone (UK) signed the Sorbonne declaration in Paris in 1998, committing themselves to "harmonising
2970-535: Was opened to other countries in the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe , and government meetings have been held in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003), Bergen (2005), London (2007), Leuven (2009), Budapest - Vienna (2010), Bucharest (2012), Yerevan (2015), Paris (2018), and Rome (2020). Before the signing of the Bologna declaration, the Magna Charta Universitatum
3025-648: Was the first country outside the UK and the US to introduce the 3+2+3 system. The key objectives are promoting the mobility of students and staff, the employability of graduates and the European dimension in higher education. Coping with the diversity of their national systems, the EHEA members agree to adopt: Student mobility implies a coherent system of studies and diplomas: The European area does not aim to standardize national higher education systems, but to make them more readable and to build mutual trust between higher education institutions. The mutual recognition of diplomas
#85914