Access from Bachelor to Master Status and challenges in vertical mobility Maria Kelo, Higher education expert, Brussels

>Introduction (Maria Kelo) >Tuning methodology and discussion on its use for masters admissions (Jean-Luc Lamboley) >Group work on main challenges in access to masters: the benefits and challenges created by Bologna >French case: good practice in admission to masters (Jean- Luc Lamboley) >Sharing of national/institutional experiences and good practice Workshop outline

>Expectations on the Bologna process ● Comparability of degrees to increase mobility -For the labour market -For future study -Within degree programmes -Between study levels ● Lack of adequate mobility data (all forms of mobility, nationality vs mobility, free movers…)  little scientific evidence either way More mobility: ideals and realities >Fear: less mobility within degrees ● No strong evidence at European level ● « Saving grace »: more mobility between degree levels  BUT is this happening?

>New degrees or new cut-off points? ● Persistence in considering masters as a continuation of a determined bachelors programme -“you need to have done my bacehlors to do my masters” and “you should do my masters if you have done my bahcelors” ●  description requirements often based on the « related » bachelors programme, and not on skills and competences acquired (learning outcomes) - subjects, numbers of credits between them, assessment methods, etc. ● Nobody wants to lose their best students for the masters level elsewhere – getting some of the best from elsewhere?  A real obstacle to mobility between programmes/ institutions/ countries between degree levels Challenges in access to masters

>A mentality change ● Trust in colleagues (their programmes – “good enough”) ● Trust in own programmes (attractive enough) ● Trust in students (ability to adapt and change) ● A generous and open-minded assessment of previous qualifications ● Bottom line: one masters not the (automatic) continuation of a given (and only) bachelors What can we do? >Practical support to assess previous competencies ● Individual assessment of applicants -Problems: time-consuming, requires often personal links to institution/programmes, not ‘fair’ (?) ● Diploma supplement/course descriptions/leqrning outcomes ● Qualifications frameworks? ● Tuning

>What are the main challenges in recognition of bachelors degrees for admission to masters? >Is the problem centered at formal level (national requirements, for example), at the institutional level, or programme level (individual preferences etc.)? >Is the problem similar to national students from different programmes as for international students? >What is the « right » degree of « protectionism” of own programmes? >What could be done and what has been done to alleviate the problem at institutional or national level? >What are the advantages for institutions/countries of enabling and facilitating increased mobility between levels? GROUPWORK – what is the problem and how can it be solved?