Implementing the Bologna Process: The experience of Estonia

1
Implementing the Bologna ProcessThe experience
of Estonia

• Workshop Boosting quality International
  Credential Evaluation and Higher Education
  Quality Assessment in SSH (PHOENIX)
• Bishkek, 13-14 April 2006
• Gunnar Vaht
• The Estonian ENIC/NARIC

2
Higher education in Estonia

• Legal framework
• Education Act (1992)
• Universities Act (1995)
• Institutions of Professional Higher Education Act
  (1998)
• Private Schools Act (1998)
• University of Tartu Act (1995)
• Standard of Higher Education (2002)

3
Access to higher education

• General requirements (qualifications)
• Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus (Secondary School
  Leaving Certificate - 12yrs of study) State
  Examination Certificate
• Secondary Vocational School Leaving Certificate
  State Examination Certificate
• Corresponding foreign qualification
• Specific requirements
• Results of state examinations (mother language,
  foreign language, mathematics, etc)
• admission examinations/tests/interviews
• average mark on leaving certificate or group of
  marks of certain subject(s)

4
Higher education institutions

• Universities (ülikool)
• institution of research, development, study and
  culture with programs at all higher education
  levels in several fields of study
• Professional Higher Education Institutions
  (rakenduskõrgkool)
• educational institutions with programs of
  professional higher education and Magister-study.
  The institution may offer secondary vocational
  programs.
• Vocational Education Institutions
  (kutseõppeasutus)
• institutions of secondary vocational programs.
  The institutions may offer the professional
  higher education

5
Bologna process in Estonia

• Estonia was among the countries signing the
  Bologna Declaration in 1999
• Large scale changes started already in the
  beginning of 1990s by removing Soviet ideology in
  the programs, increasing the university autonomy,
  introducing the credit accumulation system based
  on student workload and accreditation system
• Bologna process was seen as a continuation of the
  developments, an opportunity to increase the
  competitiveness internationally (comparable
  degree structure) and broadening the students
  choices (national and international mobility)

6
New degree structure

• Higher education system is binary at first and
  second level
• University structure has three cycles following
  the bachelor-master-PhD model
• Transfer to the new two-cycle specialist degree
  structures of academic year 2002/03

7
Legal framework for degrees

• The Government approved the Standard of Higher
  Education (2002) functions as a broad
  qualification framework which determines the
  conditions of access to, capacity, learning
  outcomes, graduation requirements, etc of PHE,
  Bak, Mag and PhD studies
• Special legislative acts govern the outcomes and
  content of regulated professions and other one
  long-cycle programs (in medicine, class teachers,
  civil engineers etc)
• New Governmental decree (2004) for designation of
  academic degrees

8
Degree structure (pre-Bologna)

• Old system (until 2002/03 admission)
• General system as one-long-cycle structure
• Universities
• Bakalaureus-degree (45 years) - specialists
  qualifications
• Magister-degree (12 years) - research degree
• Doktor-degree (Mag4 years) - second research
  degree
• Professional higher education institutions
• PHE-diploma (34 years) - the access to
  Magister-study was limited

9
Degree structure (Bologna)

• New system (since 2002/03 admission)
• General system as two-cycle (bachelor-master)
  structure - so called 32 model
• Universities
• Bakalaureus-degree (bachelor-level) - 3 years
• Magister-degree (master-level) - 2 years
• one long-cycle programs (master-level) - 5 years
  Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - 6 years
• Doktor-degree - 34 years
• Professional higher education institutions
• PHE-diploma (bachelor-level) - 34 years
• Magister-degree (master-level) - 12 years in
  cooperation with university.In some fields also
  independently.

10
Bakalaureus-studies

• At this level the basic knowledge and skills of a
  speciality are obtained.
• The nominal length of study is predominantly 3
  years and the capacity of studies 120 national
  credit points (ainepunkt) 180 credits in ECTS
  system
• The new qualification enables holder to commence
  work and continue studies at master level
• Under a previous degree structure
  bakalaureus-studies provided a competence
  necessary for working as a specialist and the
  right to work in a position that requires high
  qualification (lawyer, engineer, teacher, etc)

11
Magister-studies

• The aim of second cycle studies is to educate a
  specialist with profound professional knowledge.
  Study is devoted to in-depth preparation for the
  speciality and includes a narrow specialisation.
• The nominal duration of 12 years and capacity of
  studies 4080 national credits (60120 ECTS
  credits), but along with bachelor-level studies
  not less than 5 years (32 or 41), and capacity
  of 200 national credits/300 ECTS credits

12
Comparison of old and new systems

• Till 1991
• Diplom-Specialist (5) - Kandidat Nauk (3) -
  Doktor Nauk ()
• 1991-1994
• University Diploma (5) - (Research) Magister (2)
  - Doktor (4)
• 1995-2001
• Bakalaureus (4) - Magister (2) - Doktor (4)
• Since 2002
• Bakalaureus (3) - Magister (2) - Doktor (34)
• (Bachelor-Master structure or 32 system)

13
Professional higher education

• The purpose of PHE study is to acquire the
  competence necessary for working in the relevant
  profession or continue studies in a master level
• Providers
• Professional higher education institutions
• structural units of universities (university
  kolledzh)
• selected vocational secondary education
  institutions

14
Doktor-study

• Highest stage of higher education with the
  purpose of acquiring knowledge and skills
  necessary for independent research, development
  or professional creative work
• The nominal duration is 3 to 4 years (180 to 240
  ECTS credits)

15
Recognition and comparison of old degrees

• Draft Governmental Decree on comparison of former
  qualifications - in order to ensure the equal
  rights of graduates in access to further study
  and to the labor market.
• Diploma Supplement - the description of
  educational system and indicates on which system
  the degree is earned
• Estonian ENIC/NARIC - information to the foreign
  authorities

16
Recognition tools

• Diploma Supplement - the model of UNESCO, Council
  of Europe and European Commission
• Implemented by the initiative of individual
  universities in 1999 and issued on request (some
  fee)
• Since 2002 the DS is a state document annexed to
  every diploma (free)
• ECTS
• Since 1997 higher education institutions may use
  ECTS credit and marking system simultanously with
  national system and only in student mobility
  programs
• Since 01.09.2006 - the only credit system in
  Estonia and as the national credit system.

17
Quality Assurance

• License, accreditation, recognition
• License
• issued by the Ministry of Education and Research
  (MoER)
• State inspection
• inspection by MoER regularly self analyse
• Accreditation
• part of the quality assessment.
• Organised by Estonian Higher Education
  Accreditation Centre
• Foreign experts for two-three days
• Decision by Higher Education Quality Assessment
  Council
• Approved by the Minister
• State recognition of diplomas/qualifications
• Statute of Diploma - state standards

18
Accreditation

• The recognition of diplomas is dependent upon the
  accreditation decision
• Accreditation of the program is granted for 7
  years (conditional accreditation for 3 years)
• Accreditation criteria - content of the study
  program, quality of the teaching, management
  practices, state of the study facilities, quality
  assurance practices, teachers qualifications,
  etc.
• During 1997-2002 the first round of accreditation
  was completed, over 500 study programs were under
  accreditation process

19
Implementation of Bologna process

• The so-called National Bologna Group was
  established in 2000 - representatives Ministry
  of Education, Rectors Council, Student Union and
  Estonian ENIC/NARIC
• On 2001, the Government approved the reform plan
• Major legislative changes were implemented during
  2002 and 2003
• Transfer to the new degree structure was very
  quick and was possible only because HEIs were
  very interested in these changes

20
Further plans

• Ensuring the employability of the new
  bachelors
• Recruitment of international staff with long-term
  contacts
• Work with qualifications framework - description
  of learning outcomes
• Joint degree programs - amendment of legislation
• Implementing the lifelong learning principles in
  higher education - APEL