Bologna Process in Europe: Two-cycle degrees Workshop: Boosting quality: International Credential Evaluation and Higher Education Quality Assessment in SSH (PHOENIX) Bishkek, 13-14 April 2006 Gunnar Vaht Head of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC

Traditional Europe (Pre-Bologna) Diversity degree structures - one-tier; two-tier; multi-tier structures nominal duration in some systems the first degree (“Bachelor”) is not relevant to the labor market credit systems names of degrees and other qualifications Misunderstandings, unfair recognition, obstacles in mobility

Bologna Declaration “Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees,… in order to promote European citizens employability and the international competitiveness” “Adoption of a system essentially based on two main cycles, undergraduate and graduate”

Two-cycle degrees Two main cycles (undergraduate-graduate; first and second cycle; Bachelor-Master) so-called 3+2 structure as the dominant model First cycle degree shall also be relevant to the labor market same (but not equivalent) learning principles and outcomes in EHEA two cycles at universities and other type of higher education institutions (different orientations - i.e. professional Bachelor)

Bachelor-level degree Nominal duration of 3…4 years (in most cases 3 years, “professional” degrees - 4 years) Capacity 180…240 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits Universities and professional higher education institutions different orientations and profiles - “professional” and “academic” Basic knowledge in the subject/field and skills of a speciality are obtained access to the labor market to prepare students for further studies in second cycle (master level)

Master-level degree Second-cycle degree; general access requirement - completed bachelor-level qualification Nominal duration of 1…2 years (together with Bachelor no less than 5 years) Capacity 60…120 ECTS credits (Bachelor+Master = 300 credits) (in some disciplines traditionally still one long cycle program, e.g. in medicine, civil engineering, etc) Universities and professional higher education institutions achieved level of knowledge and understanding; high level competence (in-depth preparation for the speciality and specialisation) eligible to doctoral study

Qualifications framework Elaboration of the framework of comparable and compatible qualifications for higher education systems in Europe, which should seek to describe qualifications in terms of: workload level learning outcomes profile competences