The Bologna Process

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The Bologna Process

• Overview of the Changing Face
• Of European Higher Education
• with a Look at Developments in
• Spain and Germany

Presented by Kevin Rolwing, Assistant Director
World Education Services E-Mail
krolwing_at_wes.org
Prepared by WES staff members
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What is the Bologna Process?

• A process leading to the . . .
• European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
• A comparable, compatible and coherent system of
  higher education in Europe.

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Timeline

• 1999 29 Ministers of Education signed the
  Bologna Declaration
• Currently 46 signatory countries
• 2010 Full implementation

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Map of the Bologna Process Countries
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Objectives of the EHEA

• Transparency of Qualifications within Europe
• Greater student/instructor/researcher mobility
  both within and outside Europe
• Stronger and more transparent quality assurance
  for institutions and programs

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Elements of the EHEA

• Adoption of bachelors and masters degrees
• ECTS credit system and grading scale
• The Diploma Supplement
• Recognition of quality assurance agencies

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Three-Cycle Degree Structure

• Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D.
• Replacement of long one-cycle degrees
• Examples
• German Diplom
• Russian Diploma of Specialist
• Italian Laurea

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ECTS-European Credit and Transfer System

• 60 ECTS credits for each year of study
• 3-Year Bachelors Degree has 180 ECTS credits
• 4-Year Bachelors Degree 240 ECTS credits
• 1-Year Masters Degree 60 ECTS credits
• 2-Year Masters Degree 120 ECTS credits
• Both the 32 and the 41 bachelors / masters
  sequence will require a minimum of 300 ECTS
  credits

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ECTS Grading Scale

• Standardized Grading Scale Based on the Rank of a
  Student
• Grade of Students
• A 10
• B 25
• C 30
• D 25
• E 10
• FX Fail-some more work required to pass
• F Fail-considerable further work is required

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The Diploma Supplement

• A standardized document that describes the
  program of study and gives information on the
  system of education
• Promotes transparency in higher education
• Promotes mobility and lifelong learning
• Promotes fair and informed judgment about
  qualifications

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Quality Assurance

• The European Association of Quality Assurance
  ENQA
• Designation of a Set of Standards, Procedures and
  Steps for Quality Assurance
• Comparable to the Role of CHEA-Council on Higher
  Education Accreditation in the USA

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Germany and the Bologna Process

• Opted for a 3-year Bachelors degree with 180
  ECTS creditsfirst graduates in 2002.
• Most masters degrees are 2 years long (120 ECTS
  credits)
• The Bologna bachelors/masters degree sequence
  replaces the old Diplom-Univ.
• Many masters degree programs are offered in
  English language to appeal to international
  students

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Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Germany

• The following organizations have been accepted as
  full members of the ENQA--the European
  Association for Quality Assurance in Higher
  Education
• ACQUIN - Accreditation, Certification and Quality
  Assurance Institute
• ASIIN - Accreditation Agency Specialised in
  Accrediting Degree Programmes in Engineering,
  Informatics, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• EVALAG - Stiftung Evaluationsagentur
  Baden-Wuerttemberg
• FIBAA - Foundation for International Business
  Administration Accreditation
• GAC - German Accreditation Council
• ZEvA - Central Evaluation and Accreditation
  Agency Hannover

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Spain and the Bologna Process

• Opted for a 4-year first university
  degreeGraduado with 240 ECTS credits
• The first Graduado programs were introduced in
  the 2008-2009 academic year
• The Master Universitario is the second cycle
  Bologna degree generally a one-year program with
  60 ECTS credits

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Diagram of the Spanish higher education system
after Bologna
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Diagram of the Pre-Bologna System of Education
in Spain
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Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Spain

• AGAE - Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher
  Education and Research of Andalusia
• ANECA - National Agency for Quality Assessment
  and Accreditation of Spain
• AQU - Agency for Quality Assurance in the Catalan
  University System

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Council of Graduate Schools Survey on Acceptance
of 3-Year Bologna Bachelors Degree for Graduate
Admissions

• 2006 survey respondents included the graduate
  schools that account for 80 of international
  graduate students
• 18 do not accept 3-year degrees
• 4 grant provisional admission
• 49 consider equivalent to US 4-year degree
• 29 admit on candidates ability to succeed

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Universities that accept the 3-year Bologna
bachelors degree for graduate admission

• The University of Chicago, Graduate School of
  Business
• University of California, Berkeley
• Stanford University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• McGill University
• Columbia University, Graduate School of Business
• North Carolina State University
• Purdue University
• University of Toronto
• University at Buffalo (SUNY)
• Wharton School / University of Pennsylvania

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Useful Links/Resources

• www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/
• www.eua.be/bologna-universities-reform/
• http//ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/bologn
  a/bologna_en.html
• http//www.enqa.eu/
• http//www.eqar.eu/
• http//www.daad.de/deutschland/index.en.html
• http//web.micinn.es/contenido.asp?menu13menu23
  dir04_Universidades/022EdUnSu/032EEES
• http//www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/R_intlenrl06_I
  II.pdf (CGS Survey)