What is a European degree?
- a new type of degree awarded after transnational Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral programmes delivered at national, regional, or institutional level
- automatically recognised everywhere in the EU
- awarded jointly on a voluntary basis by a group of universities across Europe
- based on common criteria agreed at European level (see Annex II in EUR-Lex)
Objectives
- contribute to Europe’s competitiveness by equipping graduates with future-proof skills to master the green and digital transitions
- provide a strong symbol of our common European identity and strong sense of European belonging, reinforcing our common academic values and bringing people and universities together
Who will benefit?
Students
Students will have
- more opportunities to study at various universities in different EU countries and to graduate with one universally recognised diploma
- access to innovative and transdisciplinary learning opportunities across campuses to acquire the future-proof skills that Europe needs
Higher education institutions
The European degree will
- make it simpler to set up a joint programme with several universities across Europe, by removing unnecessary barriers
- help participating universities to increase their competitiveness and attractiveness
Employers
Employers will be able to recruit highly skilled qualified graduates ready to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
How will we build the European degree?
Building the European degree is a collaborative process involving
- European Commission
- national authorities from EU countries
- higher education sector
- social and economic partners
This collaboration uses insights and recommendations from outcomes of Erasmus+ pilot projects that have involved more than 140 higher education institutions from all EU countries.
Next steps
Given the diversity of higher education systems across Europe, the Commission proposes a gradual approach for EU countries towards a European degree, with 2 possible entry points:
- A preparatory European label - given to joint degree programmes that meet the European criteria; this means students receive a ‘European label’ certificate together with their joint degree
- A European degree - a new type of qualification awarded either jointly by several universities from different countries or possibly by a European legal entity established by such universities; this means students receive a ‘European degree’
How will the Commission support EU countries and the higher education sector?
Policy lab
A European degree policy lab to develop detailed guidelines and action plans to put in place a European degree with national experts, higher education institutions, quality assurance/accreditation agencies, students, and economic and social partners.
Forum
A new annual European degree forum that monitors progress and provides guidance, gathering representatives from EU countries, key organisations in quality assurance and recognition, and economic and social partners.
Erasmus support
New Erasmus+ support for
- European degree pathway projects enabling EU countries, together with their accreditation and quality assurance agencies, universities, students, economic and social partners, to navigate the pathway towards a European degree
- European degree design measures to enable higher education institutions to adapt existing joint programmes or to create new ones leading to a European degree
Questions and answers
Want to learn more? Get a list of frequently asked questions on the European degree.