Bologna – an overview of the main elements

The Bologna Process aims to facilitate mobility by providing common tools (such as a European Credit Transfer and accumulation System – ECTS and the Diploma Supplement) to ensure that periods of study abroad are recognised. These tools are used to promote transparency in the emerging European Higher Education Area by allowing degree programmes and qualifications awarded in one country to be understood in another.

An overarching structure (incorporating these elements) is being implemented through the development of national and European qualifications frameworks, which aim to provide a clearly defined system which is easy for students, institutions and employers to comprehend.

  • Three Degree Cycle
  • The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
  • The Diploma Supplement
  • Quality Assurance
  • Recognition
  • Joint Degrees

Three Degree Cycle

Two basic degrees, Bachelor and Master, have been adopted now by every participating country; sometimes in parallel to existing degrees during a transition period, sometimes replacing them completely. European universities are currently in the implementation phase, and an increasing number of graduates have now been awarded these new degrees. Typically, a Bachelor degree requires 180-240 ECTS credits and a Master programme between 90-120 ECTS credits depending on the discipline. This allows for a flexible approach in defining the length of both Bachelor and Master programmes.

Many participating countries have made substantial changes to their systems in response to the Bologna Process. Introducing the new degrees has required a tremendous effort in reviewing curricula and expectations toward students. Already over half of European universities have reviewed their curricula entirely, using the Bologna reforms to implement a more student-focused approach and new quality procedures.

In the third cycle, European PhD programmes are not defined by ECTS credits, however, common principles are currently under discussion.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)

An important tool used for credit transfer and accumulation, ECTS plays now an important part in curriculum design and in validating a range of learning achievements (academic or not). In this system, credits reflect the total workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme - objectives which are specified in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired - and not just through lecture hours. It makes study programmes easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign, and therefore facilitates mobility and academic recognition.

  • ECTS Key Features
    Key Features of ECTS as the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
    EUA, 2003
  • ECTS/DS Users' Guide
    A guide presenting detailed information on ECTS key instruments, the Diploma Supplement, the ECTS and DS labels
    European Commission, 2005

The Diploma Supplement

Compulsory for every graduate (since 2005), the Diploma Supplement is a tool which is attached to a higher education diploma and describes the degree’s qualification in an easily understandable way. It is designed to provide a standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by the graduate. It is not a resume or a substitute for the original credential but rather a way of providing detailed information about any academic or professional qualification.

Quality Assurance

The Bologna Process includes the promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance as one of its ten objectives. The current structural and curriculum reform provide an opportunity for universities to reflect upon management practices and to review programmes and teaching methods with the aim of ensuring their quality.

In parallel, common requirements for national systems have been defined at European level to improve the consistency of quality assurance schemes across Europe. European standards have also been developed for internal and external quality assurance in order to provide universities and quality assurance agencies with common reference points.

All stakeholders (universities, students, quality assurance agencies and governments) have agreed on the following actions which are currently under construction:

  • Quality assurance agencies in Europe will be expected to submit themselves to a cyclical review within five years
  • A European register of quality assurance agencies will be produced to make it easier to identify professional and credible agencies
  • A European register committee will act as a gatekeeper for the inclusion of agencies in the register

A forum for quality assurance agencies, universities and other stakeholders will take place every year to discuss the latest developments in the field

Recognition

The recognition of qualifications is essential to allow students to study at different institutions in different countries. Work on agreeing the common recognition of qualifications predates the start of the Bologna Process, but overcoming legal recognition and administrative obstacles is one of the ten objectives of the reform process and a vital element in promoting mobility.

The Council of Europe's 'Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region' (usually referred to as the Lisbon Convention) entered into force on 1 February 1999. It seeks to ensure that holders of a qualification from one European country have that qualification recognised in another and refers to the Diploma Supplement. The majority of countries participating in the Bologna Process have signed the Lisbon Recognition Convention and all 45 are encouraged to sign by 2007.

Joint Degrees

Joint degrees (degree programmes involving and periods of study at multiple institutions) provide innovative examples of inter-university cooperation and can be seen as pillars of future European higher education development. Interest in joint programmes is increasing in Europe and project work (undertaken by EUA and other stakeholders) has sought to provide information, build upon successful practice, and to focus attention on the main challenges faced by joint programmes, such as regarding quality assurance. In recent years, many countries have adapted legislation to enable joint degrees to be awarded, and at European level an amendment to the Lisbon Recognition Convention (see above section on Recognition) was adopted in 2005 to facilitate the recognition of joint degree qualifications.