Bologna Process

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Logo of the Bologna process

The purpose of the Bologna process is to create the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by harmonising academic degree standards and quality assurance standards throughout Europe for each faculty and its development. The name is based on the fact that the process was proposed at the University of Bologna with the signing, in 1999, of the Bologna declaration by ministers of education from 29 European countries in the Italian city of Bologna. This was opened up to other countries, and further governmental meetings have been held in Prague (2001), Berlin (2003) and Bergen (2005); the next meeting will take place in London in Autumn 2007.

Before the signing of the Bologna declaration, the Magna Charta Universitatum had been issued at a meeting of university rectors celebrating the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna - and thus of European universities - in 1988. One year before the Bologna declaration, education ministers Claude Allegre (France), Jürgen Rüttgers (Germany), Luigi Berlinguer (Italy) and the Baroness Blackstone (UK) signed the "Sorbonne declaration" in Paris 1998, committing themselves to "harmonising the architecture of the European Higher Education system". French officials in particular therefore often refer to the La Sorbonne/Bologna process.

The Council of Europe and UNESCO have jointly issued the "Lisbon recognition convention" on recognition of academic qualifications as part of the process, which has been ratified by the majority of the countries party to the Bologna process.

History

Sorbonne 1998

In May 1998 the ministers in charge of higher education of France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany signed the so-called Sorbonne Declaration on the "harmonisation of the architecture of the European Higher Education System" at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Other European countries later subscribed to the Declaration.

The Sorbonne Declaration focused on

a progressive convergence of the overall framework of degrees and cycles in an open European area for higher education
a common degree level system for undergraduates (Bachelor's degree) and graduates (Master's and doctoral degree)
enhancing and facilitating student and teacher mobility (students should spend at least one semester abroad); removing obstacles for mobility and improving recognition of degrees and academic qualifications

Bologna 1999

In June 1999, 29 European ministers in charge of higher education met in Bologna to lay the basis for establishing a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010 and promoting the European system of higher education world-wide. In the Bologna Declaration, the ministers affirmed their intention to:

adopt a system of easily readable and comparable degrees
adopt a system with two main cycles (undergraduate/graduate)
establish a system of credits (such as ECTS)
promote mobility by overcoming obstacles
promote European co-operation in quality assurance
promote European dimensions in higher education

Convinced that the establishment of the European Higher Education Area would require constant support, supervision and adaptation to continuously evolving needs, the ministers decided to meet again in two years time.

Prague 2001

Two years after the Bologna Declaration, the ministers in charge of higher education of 33 European signatory countries met in Prague in May 2001 to follow up the Bologna Process and to set directions and priorities for the following years.

In the Prague Communiqué the ministers

reaffirmed their commitment to the objectives of the Bologna Declaration
appreciated the active involvement of the European University Association (EUA) and the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB)
took note of the constructive assistance of the European Commission
made comments on the further process with regard to the different objectives of the Bologna Declaration
emphasised as important elements of the European Higher Education Area:
- lifelong learning
- involvement of students
- enhancing the attractiveness and competiveness of the European Higher Education Area to other parts of the world (including the aspect of transnational education)

The ministers decided that the next follow-up meeting of the Bologna Process should take place in 2003 in Berlin to review progress and to set directions and priorities for the next stages of the process towards the European Higher Education Area.

Berlin 2003

When ministers met again in Berlin in September 2003, they defined three intermediate priorities for the next two years: quality assurance, the two-cycle degree system and recognition of degrees and periods of studies. In the Berlin Communiqué, specific goals were set for each of these action lines.

Quality assurance

Ministers stressed the need to develop mutually shared criteria and methodologies and agreed that by 2005 national quality assurance systems should include:

A definition of the responsibilities of the bodies and institutions involved
Evaluation of programmes or institutions, including internal assessment, external review, participation of students and the publication of results
A system of accreditation, certification or comparable procedures, international participation, co-operation and networking

The two-cycle system

Ministers asked for the development of an overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area. Within such frameworks, degrees should have different defined outcomes. First and second cycle degrees should have different orientations and various profiles in order to accommodate a diversity of individual, academic and labour market needs.

Recognition of degrees and periods of studies

Ministers underlined the importance of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, which should be ratified by all countries participating in the Bologna Process. Every student graduating as from 2005 should receive the Diploma Supplement automatically and free of charge.

The third cycle

Ministers also considered it necessary to go beyond the present focus on two main cycles of higher education to include the doctoral level as the third cycle in the Bologna Process and to promote closer links between the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the European Research Area (ERA). This added a tenth action line to the Bologna Process:

Doctoral studies and the synergy between EHEA and ERA.

Ministers charged the Follow-up Group with organising a stocktaking process in time for their summit in 2005 and undertaking to prepare detailed reports on the progress and implementation of the intermediate priorities set for the period.

Bergen 2005

In Bergen in May 2005, the Ministers responsible for higher education in the 40 participating countries to the Bologna-process have met for a mid-term review and for setting goals and priorities towards 2010. They confirmed their commitment to coordinating their policies through the Bologna-process to establish the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and they committed themselves to assisting the new participating countries to implement the goals of the process.

Action lines

	Introduced in the Bologna Declaration:
1.	Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees
2.	Adoption of a system essentially based on two cycles
3.	Establishment of a system of credits
4.	Promotion of mobility
5.	Promotion of European co-operation in quality assurance
6.	Promotion of the European dimension in higher education
	Introduced in the Prague Communiqué:
7.	Lifelong learning (LLL)
8.	Higher education institutions and students
9.	Promoting the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
	Introduced in the Berlin Communiqué:
10.	Doctoral studies and the synergy between the EHEA and European Research Area (ERA)
	The social dimension of higher education might be seen as an overarching or transversal action line

Framework

The basic framework adopted is of three cycles of higher education qualification: bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. In most cases, these will take 3, 2, and 3 years respectively to complete, but the framework is moving to defining qualifications in terms of learning outcomes and the length in years is in no way set in stone. A Framework of Qualifications for the European Higher Education Area was adopted by the ministers responsible for higher education at a meeting in Bergen in May 2005.

These levels are closer to the current model in the UK, Ireland (as well as the U.S.) than that in most of Continental Europe, where the model often is based on the magister or diploma. In any case, program length tends to vary from country to country, and less often between institutions within a country.

Statements by different international organisations

Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE)

European Medical Association (EMA)

In 2005, EMA has published a report and statement on "The implementation of the Bologna process in medical education (DEBOMED)". The report is accessible at the link above or online at www.EMAnet.org.

IFMSA Policy Statements

On different annual meetings members of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) and the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) discussed the consequences and the relevance the Bologna Process has for Medical Education, starting in Poznan (Poland) in 2002 and followed by a meeting in Lubljana (Slovenia) in 2003. In 2004 the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) and the European Medical Students' Association (EMSA) have written The Bologna Declaration and Medical Education on a conference in Megève (France). It is the first ever statement of an international organisation on the implementation of the Bologna Process in Medical Education.This statement is published in "Medical Teacher" (Volume 27, Number 1/January 2005, pages 83 - 85).
In 2005 a workshop on Quality Assurance took place in Copenhagen (Denmark). A statement on Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement in Medical Education was written at that conference.

World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)

Effects in different countries

Most countries do not currently fit the framework – instead they have their own time-honoured systems. The process will have many knock-on effects such as bilateral agreements between countries and institutions which recognise each others' degrees. However, the process is now moving away from a strict convergence in terms of time spent on qualifications, towards a competency-based system. The system will have an undergraduate and postgraduate division, with the bachelor degree in the former and the master and doctoral in the latter.

In mainland Europe five year plus first degrees are common, with some taking up to eight years not being unheard of. This leads to many not completing their studies; many of these countries are now introducing bachelor-level qualifications. This situation is changing rapidly as the Bologna Process is implemented.

Austria

The situation in Austria is similar to that in Germany: the traditional "lowest" degrees are the Magister and the Diplom-Ingenieur, which can be obtained after at least four to five years of study. However, beginning with the year 2000, a number of curricula have already been converted into separate bachelor (Bakkalaureat) and master (Magisterstudium) programmes, with nominal durations of six semesters (three years) and three to four semesters (1.5 - 2 years), respectively. With few exceptions (e.g. studies of human and veterinary medicine), all university curricula will be remodeled to this format within the next years.

Enrollment in a doctoral programme generally requires a master's level degree in a related field. The nominal duration of doctoral programmes is two years, but the actual time to graduation varies considerably and is generally longer than that.

Belgium

In Belgium the candidate's degree took 2 years (in some cases 3), with an additional 2 to 3 years (in some cases 4) to obtain a license. This has been replaced by an academic bachelor's degree of 3 years and a master's degree of 1 or 2 years (in some case 3 or even 4). The professional (non-academic) graduate degree has been replaced by a professional bachelor degree of 3 years. As a result of the bologna process, the accreditation of degrees in the Flamish part of Belgium will be done in conjunctiun with the Netherlands.

Denmark

Previously to the adaptation to international standards the lowest degree that could be obtained at universities in Denmark were equivalent to a Master degree (Kandidat). Officially Bachelor's degrees has been introduced after 3 years university studies, but very few choose to stop at this stage, without the additional 2 years required to obtain a Masters degree. Various medium length (2-4 years) professional degrees have been adapted so they now have status as professional bachelor's degrees (3½ years), and opposed to academic bachelor's degrees they are considered to be "valid" degrees.

Estonia

Since 2002 in Estonia all honours bachelors degree are three years (before 2001 enrollment 4 years), master's 2 and doctorates 4. The masters degree is always a postgraduate degree. Basically, there is no taught or achieved through research master's gradation.

France

In contrast to the Anglo-Saxon system, the French academic system does not use undergraduate education : each student chooses a particular field of studies for his matriculation. The French term for academic degree is grade universitaire.

The first degree, called the baccalauréat, ends the secondary education and allows students to enter University. It is then followed by the Diplôme d'études universitaires générales or DEUG, which takes two years, followed by a third year, the licence. The licence is roughly the equivalent of the Oxford B. A.. After the licence, students can choose to enter the maîtrise, which was a one-year research degree. The maîtrise may be followed by either a work-oriented one-year degree, the diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées or DESS, or a one-year research degree, the Diplôme d'études approfondies or DEA. The DEA is one year of preparation for a doctorate, and can be considered equivalent to a M. Phil.. After DEA, students may pursue a doctorat, which takes at least three years.

The baccalauréat and the doctorat status are unchanged in the new Bologna system, but the DEUG and the old licence are merged in a new, three-year, licence, as the maîtrise, the DESS and the DEA in a master of two years, which can be work-oriented (master professionnel) or research-oriented (master recherche).

Germany

In Germany the process is already underway, many subjects of the natural sciences, humanities and social studies can be completed with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) at an increasing number of universities. The Bachelor's degree in engineering can be a Bachelor of Science (BSc) or a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng). The new postgraduate Master's degrees (Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc) and Master of Engineering (MEng)) are seen as equivalent to the old five year plus first degrees Diplom (one subject, can be in all sciences) and Magister Artium (interdisciplinary, only in social and cultural sciences). Bachelor's degrees are seen as roughly equivalent to the old four year first degree Diplom (FH) from a "Fachhochschule" (or University of Applied Sciences). Bearing in mind that the Fachhochschule level is not comparable to the UK honours degree or to the French DEA (see below) because although the fourth year of the FH is used for a research project, it is a practical project, done on-the-job. Furthermore, the FH is outside the university system. German universities are research universities and include courses in all traditional departments through the Doktorat level, whereas the FH are teaching colleges for technical, business and applied social science subjects which have offered only one degree, the Diplom (FH). The number of old degree courses is declining and they will be replaced by the new degrees until 2005 in some states or until 2010 in all other German states.

Hungary

In Hungary, the Bologna system will be applied to those starting their university education in September 2006. From this year, only 108 majors will be available for selection (instead of more than 400 in the previous year), out of which six are exempt from the Bachelor vs. Master division: lawyer, physician, dentist, veterinary, pharmacist and architect.

According to the online poll of Felvi.hu, the National Tertiary Education Information Centre, 65% think it was unnecessary to adopt this system [1] (query date: 24-FEB-06). Its unpopularity first of all comes from the fact that the new system provides much less guarantee for students to get a practically useful Master's degree because many of them will be dismissed after the three years' Bachelor education. It's also not popular that students are supposed to take up more unrelated subjects in the first three years at several majors, due to the reduced number of majors.

Source in Hungarian: [2]

Italy

Italy does actually fit the framework: since 2001, the lowest degree in most universities is the "Laurea", that can be achieved after 3 years of studies, and then there are 2 more years of "specialization" (Laurea Specialistica). The postgraduate courses (Dottorato) last 3 or 4 years. Only those who have obtained the latter are considered "full" graduates and are eligible for a doctorate. Some exceptions to this rule are the courses in Medicine (6 years, plus a postgraduate specialization), Pharmacy (5 years), Architecture (5 years). The doctorate in Italy lasts 3 or 4 years, and there isn't another form of postgraduate education that gives an academic title. Masters are divided in "First Level Masters", that can be achieved by those who hold at least a "Laurea" degree, and in "Second Level Masters", that require a "Laurea Specialistica".

Ireland

In Ireland most honours bachelors degree are four years with master's and doctorates being broadly similar to the UK. Ordinary bachelors degrees are also first cycle qualifications. The masters degree is always a postgraduate degree, either taught or achieved through research. The generic outcomes for Irish degrees are spelled out in the National Framework of Qualifications published in 2003.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands typical higher education studies lasted 4 years. The first year was called the "propadeuse" and was concluded with an official diploma but no title. In academic studies, the next period was called "doctoraal" and was concluded with a degree and the title "doctorandes" which allowed you to put "drs." in front of your name. Also for medicine this degree was reached after 4 years, after which a third phase of 2 years called "co-schappen" was entered to receive the licence to practice. Only if you did formal research after your academic degree (analogue to a PhD degree) one could replace the "drs." with "dr.", the abbreviation for the academic title of "doctor". Most physicians in the Netherlands do only have the academic degree of "doctorandes" (drs.).

Upon the introduction of the Ba/Ma system in the Netherlands in 2002, all academic and professional studies, but medicine, changed their programmes. The remaining medical faculties will change their programmes in the coming years. Most Bachelors last 3 years, most Masters 1 year. A Master in medicine will last 3 years.

The following medical faculties have now implemented the Ba/Ma system: Groningen (2003), Amsterdam VU (2005), Utrecht (2006), Maastricht (Ba: 2006, Ma: 2007), Leiden (Date?).

The following medical faculties have not (yet) implemented the Ba/Ma system: Amsterdam UvA, Nijmegen, Rotterdam.

The accreditation of all higher education studies is performed together with the Flemish part of Belgium as a result of the Bologna process.

Russia

The Russian higher education framework is basically incompatible with the process: the generic "lowest" degree in all universities since Soviet era is the Specialist which can be obtained after completing 5 years of studies. In the meanwhile, since mid-90s many universities have introduced limited educational programmes allowing students to graduate with a Bachelor's degree (4 years) and then earn a Master's degree (another 2 years) while preserving the generic 5-year scheme. It's worth mentioning that even though Specialists are eligible for post-graduate courses (Aspirantura) as well as Masters are, Bachelors are not.

Spain

The situation in Spain is almost identical to that in Italy. Today, the lowest degree is the "Diploma" (Faculties) or "Ingeniería Técnica" (Technical Schools), that can be achieved after 3 years of studies, and then there are 2 more years, obtaining the "Licenciatura" or "Ingeniería Superior" degree. In some cases (for example Physics, Chemistry, History ...), the lower degree does not exist, having only a "Licenciatura" of 4-5 years. The postgraduate courses (Doctorado) last 3 or 4 years. Only those who have the "Licenciatura" or "Ingeniería Superior" degree are eligible for a doctorate.

Sweden

Higher education institutions and parliament in Sweden are currently awaiting a bill that will introduce Bologna degrees in Sweden. The Swedish kandidatexamen will not be changed, as it is roughly equivalent to a Bachelor's degree, but there is on-going discussion about prolonging the Swedish magisterexamen to two years to adapt it to a Master's degree as well as about the introduction of the ECTS grading scale.

United Kingdom

The UK starts with either a three or four year ("honours") bachelor's degree. Four year degrees are becoming more popular and are roughly equivalent to a three year degree plus a master's, or a three year degree plus a year in employment.

A master's degree generally takes a full year to complete. The academic year for master's programmes is usually of twelve months, not nine months as for undergraduate degrees. In some case it may take two years.

Signatories

Current signatories and thus members of the "European higher education area" are: Albania - Andorra - Armenia -Austria - Azerbaijan - Belgium - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Georgia - Germany - Greece - Holy See - Hungary - Iceland - Ireland - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta - Moldova - Montenegro - Netherlands - Norway - Poland - Portugal - FYR Macedonia - Romania - Russia - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Turkey - Ukraine - UK

The following organisations are also part of the follow-up of the process: National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB), European University Association (EUA), European Association of Institutions of Higher Education (EURASHE), EI, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), UNICE as well as the Council of Europe, the European Commission and UNESCO.

Other networks at this level include European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) as well as European Network of Information Centres (ENIC), National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) and EURODOC.