Pilot programme to adapt qualifications to the European Higher Education Area

In order to adapt Catalan university courses to the requirements of the Bologna Declaration, in the 2004-2005 academic year the ministry responsible for universities set up a Pilot Programme to adapt qualifications to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The 2005-2006 academic year was the second time this Programme was implemented.

This Programme included pilot undergraduate qualifications and pilot university master’s degree qualifications. The total number of credits for the former was 180 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) spread over 3 years, and 120 ECTS credits for the university master’s degrees, spread over 2 years.

The qualifications included in the Pilot Programme take into account the definition of the educational objectives, in the form of academic and professional skills, to be attained by students and the manner in which they are to be attained, based on a broad consultation and dialogue process with all the parties involved. The manner in which these skills were to be attained and evaluated in order to move from the concept of education to that of learning was also planned. It is, therefore, essential to stimulate motivation and the specific preparation of the teaching and administrative and service staff that participate in the development of these pilot qualifications, based on new pedagogical approaches and with the specific support of ICT and new methodologies.

In the two programmes, Catalan universities incorporated 82 pilot undergraduate qualifications and 16 master’s qualifications.

Validity of the qualifications included in the Pilot Programme

The qualification that is obtained upon completion of the courses included in the Pilot Programme will be an additional university-specific qualification. Therefore, the students will have the advantage, once they have completed their undergraduate courses, of having an additional qualification, which is adapted to European directives and accredited, where applicable, by the Quality Assurance Agency for the University System in Catalonia. The courses are taught using improved pedagogical methods that enable students to assume certain skills that are useful for professional careers, and that, additionally, enable students to be admitted, if they wish, to university master’s degree courses offered by other European universities. Moreover, it is possible that some of these university-specific qualifications can be organised in conjunction with other European universities, if the corresponding agreements are established.

Furthermore, students will also obtain the corresponding officially recognised qualification, in two ways:
a) If the course is the same length as the undergraduate level, students will simultaneously obtain both the university-specific qualification and the officially recognised qualification.
b) If the corresponding officially recognised qualification has a duration of 1 or 2 further years, students must continue their studies for 1 or 2 further years, respectively, in order to obtain the officially recognised qualification.

For further information, please consult the following documents:

First programme: 2004-2005 academic year
Bologna Pilot Programme qualifications started in the 2004-2005 academic year

Second programme: 2005-2006 academic year
Bologna Pilot Programme qualifications started in the 2005-2006 academic year

Quality Assurance Agency for the University System in Catalonia