Transcript THE CONTEXT FOR THE RECOGNITION OF THE BOLOGNA …

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THE CONTEXT FOR THE
RECOGNITION OF THE BOLOGNA
DEGREE IN THE US
2005 EAIE Conference
Krakow, Poland
Mariam Assefa
Executive Director
World Education Services
World Education
Services:
www.wes.org
International Graduate Enrollment
Today
 International students represent a significant portion of
the graduate students in science and engineering in
the US. 50% in engineering (Source: CGS)
 50% in engineering
 41% in physics sciences
 26% biological sciences
 For the first time in 30 years the number of incoming
international students declined in 2003/04. European
numbers were down by 5% (Source: IIE)
 The number of graduate applications declined further
in the spring of 2005 (CGS)
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Consequences for Graduate Schools
 US research universities are alarmed by the drop in the
number of international graduate students
 Graduate deans are playing an active role in
international enrollment issues
 Making US institutions attractive to international
students is a priority
 The Bologna process is seen as a challenge both in
terms of the changes in degree programs and by
making European universities more competitive on the
international market
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How does this Affect Degree
Recognition?
 It is well known that international students have more
options in choosing study destinations
 Graduate deans and university presidents are
beginning to realize that the Bologna reforms represent
a fundamental change in higher education across
Europe and to consider their implications for US higher
education
 One manifestation of that is to examine the fit between
the two systems which necessarily leads to the
comparison of outcomes or degrees
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The 3-year Degree Experience
 There are precedents: US institutions admit students
with 3-year degrees from the UK, Israel, Ireland,
Singapore, Hong Kong
 The majority ( 57%) of international students in the US
are from Asia. India is the largest sender with 79,736
students enrolled in 2003/04. (Source: IIE)
 When US admissions officers speak of the three-year
degree, it is usually in reference to the Indian degree
which is not usually regarded as comparable to a US
bachelor’s degree or sufficient for graduate admission.
 The Bologna process has reopened the debate
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Most Common Reasons for not
Recognizing 3-year Degrees
 Three-year length as opposed to four years as the US degree
 Absence of general education in most
programs
 Do not represent 16 years of total education
 US undergraduate degree is 12 + 4
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The Bologna Factor
 The three-year degree will no longer be the exception
but the norm in 40 countries after 2010
 The US has a long tradition of exchanges with Europe
 The Bologna process has direct implications for
Fulbright- the country’s most prestigious exchange
program
 It requires us to review and update the admission and
placement of students from participating countries
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Partial Knowledge of the Bologna
Process
 In the US the term has become shorthand for “threeyear degree from Europe”
 Key features of the process are not well known – most
specifically quality assessment and the work done on
degree definition and program content
 Information on quality assurance, program structure
and content must be disseminated in the US to
complete the picture and broaden the discussion
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Universities are Starting to Accept
Three-year Degrees
 The University of Chicago Graduate School of
Business
 Carnegie Mellon University
 Columbia University Graduate School of Business
 Wake Forest University Graduate School of
Management
 The issue will be discussed at the meeting of the
graduate schools of the AAU (Association of
American Universities) at their meeting in late
September
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External Forces Make Change Likely
 The recognition of credentials is done in context and
not in a vacuum
 As the competition for graduate students heats up,
increased attention will be paid to recruitment and
admission
 The decline in the number of students and the
competitive environment makes the US situation
ripe for change
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How to Promote Recognition
 Provide the necessary information
 Prepare literature adapted for non-European
audiences that focuses on the content,
structure and outcome of programs
 Make use of the some 300 Fulbright scholars
present in Europe each year. Properly briefed,
they could be valuable resources on the
Bologna process when they return to their
campuses.
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Your Partners in this Effort
 Fulbright commissions – they can provide you
with the list of visiting scholars present in the
country
 Graduate deans at major institutions
 Faculty and department heads responsible for
graduate admission
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Conclusion
 The graduate admission landscape is changing
 Graduate admission is faculty driven:
information must be addressed to them
 Information about program content is essential
 There is no doubt that the Bologna degree will
be generally recognized for graduate
admission in the US
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Useful links
 http://www.wes.org/ewenr/bolognaprocess.htm
 http://www.iienetwork.org/?p=50847
 http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/commiss
.htm
 http://www.cgsnet.org/
 http://www.gmac.com/gmac/NewsCenter/NewsComme
ntary/BolognaTaskForceReleasesReport.htm
 http://www.csgs.org/Daniel%20Denecke's%20Powerpo
int.ppt
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