Developing Joint Masters Programmes for Europe
Results of the EUA Joint Masters Project, March 2002-January 2004
EUA developed this project with the twin objectives of using the experience of joint programmes to find solutions to a range of issues in the European higher education landscape that need to be resolved for the Bologna process to be a success, and to gain deeper insight into how universities are realising a vision of European cooperation through joint programmes.
By focusing upon cooperation at the level of Master programmes, the intention has been to shed light on variations in national interpretations of “new” Bologna qualifications, as well as to better understand the strategies pursued by institutions to resolve problems. Through working closely with 11 existing joint master programmes covering a wide range of disciplines and from as wide a geographical area as possible, both the benefits of joint master programmes as well as the difficulties which they face can now hopefully be better understood.
The project research has focussed on the following three main themes which were addressed through parallel processes of self-evaluation and qualitative research:
- quality assurance and recognition;
- student experience and mobility;
- curriculum integration and sustainability.
Main findings concern the benefits and added value of joint master programmes, obstacles in the European environment and opportunities which exist for future development.
