Bologna Process - Glossary

Note: this glossary was contained in the report of the Bologna working group on qualifications frameworks submitted to and accepted by the 2005 Bergen Ministerial meeting.

Frequently Asked Acronyms

• Credit
• Cycle
• Europe/European
• Framework for Qualifications of the
  European Higher Education Area
• Learning outcomes
• Levels

• National framework of qualifications
  (higher education)
• Profile
• Qualifications (higher education)
• Qualification descriptors
• Reference points
• Workload

ACA	Academic Cooperation Association
Benelux	Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
BFUG	Bologna Follow-up Group
CBHE	Cross-border higher education
CoE	Council of Europe
E4 group	EUA + ENQA + EURASHE + ESU (in context of cooperation on quality assurance)
EAIE	European Association for International Education
ECA	European Consortium for Accreditation
ECTS	European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
EHEA	European Higher Education Area
EI	Education International
ENIC	European Network of Information Centres
ENQA	European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
EQF	European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF)
EQAR	European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education
ERA	European Research Area
ESG (QA)	European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area
ESN	Erasmus Student Network
ESU (formerly ESIB)	European Students' Union
EU	European Union
EUA	European University Association
EURASHE	European Association of Institutions in Higher Education
EUROSTAT	Statistical Office of the European Communities
HEI	Higher Education Institution
LLL	Lifelong Learning
LRC	Lisbon Recognition Convention
NAFSA	Association of International Educators
NARIC	National Academic Recognition Information Centres
NQF	National Qualifications Framework
OECD	Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
QA	Quality Assurance
QF	Qualifications Framework
QF-EHEA	Overarching framework of qualifications of the European Higher Education Area
Tempus	Trans-European mobility scheme for university studies
TNE	Transnational education
UNESCO	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO-CEPES	UNESCO’s European Centre for Higher Education (Centre Européen pour l'Enseignement Supérieur)

Credit

A quantified means of expressing the volume of learning based on the achievement of learning outcomes and their associated workloads.

Cycle

The three sequential levels identified by the Bologna Process (first cycle, second cycle and third cycle) within which all European higher education qualifications are located.

Europe/European

Europe/European refers to those countries that are signatories to the Bologna Declaration, whilst ‘national’ is used to describe the contexts within each of those countries or education systems.

Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area

An overarching framework that makes transparent the relationship between European national higher education frameworks of qualifications and the qualifications they contain. It is an articulation mechanism between national frameworks.

Learning outcomes

Statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do at the end of a period of learning.

Levels

Represent a series of sequential steps (a developmental continuum), expressed in terms of a range of generic outcomes, against which typical qualifications can be positioned.

National framework of qualifications (higher education)

The single description, at national level or level of an education system, which is internationally understood and through which all qualifications and other learning achievements in higher education may be described and related to each other in a coherent way and which defines the relationship between higher education qualifications.

Profile

Either the specific (subject) field(s) of learning of a qualification or the broader aggregation of clusters of qualifications or programmes from different fields that share a common emphasis or purpose (e.g. an applied vocational as opposed to more theoretical academic studies).

Qualifications (higher education)

Any degree, diploma or other certificate issued by a competent authority attesting that particular learning outcomes have been achieved, normally following the successful completion of a recognised higher education programme of study.

Qualification descriptors

Are generic statements of the outcomes of study. They provide clear points of reference that describe the main outcomes of a qualification often with reference to national levels.

Reference points

Non-prescriptive indicators that support the articulation of qualifications, learning outcomes and/or other related concepts.

Workload

A quantitative measure of the learning activities that may feasibly be required for the achievement of the learning outcomes (e.g. lectures, seminars, practical work, private study, information retrieval, research, examinations). More...