Malta
Government Scholarships
Undergraduate Scheme
Awards 2009
Regulations
Introduction
Over the last decade, Malta has witnessed significant
overall expansion in the higher education sector.
In a knowledge-based economy, it is imperative to
have a strong participation rate in higher education,
which leads towards intellectual and economic growth
to society.
High quality undergraduate education
is of central importance to a number of objectives:
an ever more
highly skilled workforce and the development of
new fields of study and specialisation. It is a key
to
Malta’s economic and social progress, and
is essential to many people's continuing professional
development.
Government believes that students
may find valid
learning pathways in degree courses which are
provided, either through foreign higher education
institutions
or through recognised private higher education
institutions in Malta.
The Malta Government Scholarship
Scheme (Undergraduate Course) for 2009 aims at
providing more opportunities
to promote further choice of undergraduate
degrees up to and including Bachelor and Honours
Degrees
(excluding Master’s Degree programmes)
classified as National Qualification Framework
(NQF) Level 6
or equivalent .
Through this scheme Government
is extending the support available to undergraduate
students
at
the University
of Malta, to those Maltese students undertaking
equivalent studies leading to reputable and
qualitative local
and foreign degrees.
1. Aims and Objectives
The key objectives of this Scholarship scheme are:
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To encourage more student participation
at an undergraduate level in Malta and abroad; |
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To promote academic excellence in the private
tuition sector; |
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To increase student choice of degrees and institutions. |
2. Eligibility
Students eligible for the scheme are students who
have been accepted as regular students in a day course
of studies and registered as full time students in
one of the following:
1. a licensed private higher education institution
or licensed tuition centre in Malta offering tuition
which leads towards a recognised degree;
2. a foreign
higher education institution offering recognised
undergraduate degree courses.
For the purpose of this scheme, recognised degrees
include only such degrees as verified by Malta Qualifications
Recognition Information Centre (MaltaQRIC) within
the Ministry of Education, and Culture, to be comparable
to undergraduate degrees classified as equivalent
to MQF level 6. Those degree courses provided locally
and leading to a recognised foreign qualification
are listed on the official site of the undergraduate
scheme and these courses shall be exempt from MaltaQRIC
verification by the applicant. Additionally, in
those cases where such degrees lead to professional
careers, the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme
Board (MGSSB) may request a report from the designated
authority responsible for warrants. Without prejudice
to these criteria, the Malta Government Scholarship
Scheme Board may reserve the right to withdraw eligibility
of certain courses leading to specific degrees, from
the scheme.
Additionally, in order to apply for the
Malta Government Scholarship Scheme, candidates
should meet the following
eligibility criteria:
| a) |
meet one of the following criteria |
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| • |
Be a Maltese citizen who
has been residing in Malta for the past five
(5) years. Provided that for the purposes of
calculating this 5 year requirement, consideration
shall not be given to such period of time during
which such Maltese citizen has been residing
outside Malta for study, health or work purposes
or any other purpose which the Board may consider,
or |
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Be a Maltese Citizen who is a worker
or self-employed person in Malta, or |
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Be a national of an EU/EEA state or
a family member of such EU/EEA national (as defined
in LN 191 of 2007 and in LN 205 of 2004 respectively
for EU and EEA nationals), provided that such
person has obtained permanent residence in Malta
in accordance with LN 191 of 2007 and in LN 205
of 2004 respectively for EU and EEA nationals,
or |
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| • |
Be a national of an EU/EEA state who
is in Malta exercising his/her Treaty rights
as a worker, self-employed person or person retaining
such status in accordance with LN 191 of 2007;
or |
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| • |
Be a third country national who has
been granted long-term residence status under
LN 278 of 2006. |
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| (b) |
have completed their term of compulsory
education; |
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| (c) |
intend to attend the course regularly and
make satisfactory progress; |
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| (d) |
in possession, by application deadline,
of the necessary minimum entry requirements for
the course applied for, as required by the degree
awarding institution; |
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| (e) |
in possession by application deadline,
of certified copies of the qualification certificates
and the classification thereof. It is the responsibility
of applicants, in possession of qualifications
awarded by foreign post-secondary or tertiary
education institutions, to produce an evaluation
report on comparability of qualifications issued
by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information
Centre (MaltaQRIC) within the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Youth and Sport. A copy of the said
report issued by the MaltaQRIC, or the designated
authority in case of warrants, should be attached
to the application. The MaltaQRIC original report
is to be kept by the applicant and presented
only for verification purposes at the Customer
Care Office, Human Resource Development Department,
Directorate for Educational Services, Great Siege
Road, Floriana. Candidates not in possession
of this report may still apply, provided that
they submit a copy of the report to the receiving
department as soon as it becomes available and
in any case by not later than one month from
the closing date of the call for applications; |
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| (f) |
students who have already started their
undergraduate course and are not in receipt of
a scholarship may apply under this scheme; |
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| (g) |
not be in possession of a degree at the
same MQF level or higher of that degree for which
they are applying for; |
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| (h) |
not have been awarded a scholarship in
prior years; |
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| (i) |
be available, by 1st October of the same
year of deadline, to commence their academic
studies and for the entire duration of the intended
course, provided that the Malta Government Scholarship
Scheme Board may accept courses commencing not
later than 5 months after this date. |
3. Appeal
A candidate can lodge an appeal with the Scholarships
Appeals Board if he feels aggrieved with the MGSS
Scholarship Board’s decision on his/her eligibility.
4. Value of Awards
The Malta Government Scholarships Undergraduate
Scheme will support students following full-time
undergraduate studies leading to general degree courses
throughout the duration of the course. Joint degrees,
split-site programmes and distance learning programmes
shall not be considered.
The awards are classified as follows:
1. General award: Students
following courses leading to a general degree shall
be entitled to
an award as indicated in Section (A) of Schedule
I for the entire duration of the course.
2. Prescribed courses: Students following
courses equivalent to the prescribed degree courses
listed in Section
(B) of Schedule I shall
be entitled to an award as indicated in the same
schedule, for
the entire duration of the course. The equivalence
of such courses will be determined by the The Malta
Government
Scholarships Scheme Board.
Undergraduate students from Gozo studying in recognised
private institutions in Malta and eligible for an
award under this scheme shall be automatically eligible
for an additional subsidy from the Ministry of Gozo,
equivalent to that entitled to by students attending
the University of Malta, for the duration of the
course.
5. Selection Criteria
The scheme shall award all students that meet the
eligibility criteria as verified by the Malta Government
Scholarship Scheme Board.
6. Selection Process
The role of the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme
Board is to verify information submitted, process
the applications, determine the eligibility of applicants
in accordance with pre-established criteria and administer
the awards. Awards made by the Malta Government Scholarship
Scheme Board are subject to the final approval of
the Minister responsible for education. Each application
is considered as follows:
| (a) |
where necessary the Malta Government
Scholarship Scheme Board shall appoint an expert
with expertise in the subject area concerned
to evaluate the application; |
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| (b) |
the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme
Board itself shall consider the application and
any advice submitted by appointed experts; |
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| (c) |
the Minister may be consulted and may give
instructions in writing, to interpret or give
additional rulings for unforeseen circumstances
that may arise. |
7. Tenure and Placement
Awards are tenable at any recognised foreign higher
education institution or private licensed higher
education institution/licensed tuition centre in
Malta which provide courses leading to an undergraduate
degree. Only those institutions recognised by the
Maltese authorities shall be taken into consideration
by the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme Board.
Institutions and respective courses listed on the
official website http://www.education.gov.mt/mgss_ug.htm will not require MaltaQRIC verification as this would
have been verified in advance with the respective
institutions, and are eligible to the scheme. Should
the courses not be included in the scheme, it shall
be the responsibility of applicants applying for
courses leading to degrees awarded by foreign universities/higher
education institutions through local tuition centres,
to produce an evaluation report on comparability
of qualifications issued by the MaltaQRIC within
the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.
A copy of the said report issued by the MaltaQRIC
should be attached to the application. The MaltaQRIC
original report is to be kept by the applicant and
presented only for verification purposes at the Customer
Care Office, Human Resources Department, Directorate
for Educational Services, Great Siege Road, Floriana.
Candidates not in possession of this report may still
apply, provided that they submit a copy of the report
to the receiving department as soon as it becomes
available and in any case by not later than one month
from the closing date of the call for applications.
Applications for foreign degrees shall not be processed
prior to the receipt of the MaltaQRIC report.
8. Choice of Institution
Many courses have strict admission deadlines and
applicants must take the necessary steps to secure
admission to their preferred institutions in advance
of any scholarship application to the Malta Government
Scholarship Scheme Board. Applicants should check
admission requirements carefully at the time of application.
9. Administration of the Malta Government
Scholarships Undergraduate Scheme
The Malta Government Scholarships Undergraduate
Scheme shall be administered by the Malta Government
Scholarships Scheme Administrative Office within
the Ministry of Education, Culture Youth and Sport.
The Malta Government Scholarships Scheme Board,
set up by the Minister responsible for education,
shall operate the process of selection. The Malta
Government Scholarships Scheme Board shall be responsible
for all matters concerning the selection of awardees.
It shall also oversee that the awardees and the institutions
comply with the scheme regulations.
10. Attendance Records
The Malta Government Scholarships Scheme Board may
request attendance records from scholars, to be obtained
from the institution attended, for compliance purposes.
11. Application Process
Applications and supporting documents for scholarships
are required to arrive at the:
Customer Care Office
Human Resources Development Department
Directorate for Educational Services
Great Siege Road,
Floriana, VLT 2000
| Tel: |
356 2598 2563 |
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356 2598 2460 |
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356 2598 2461 |
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| Fax: |
+356 21 225630 |
| Freephone: |
1571 |
The application deadline
is Friday 18th September,
2009 at noon.
12. Application Forms
Interested candidates are invited to apply using
the appropriate application forms which are available
either from the Customer Care Office, Human Resources
Development Department, Directorate for Educational
Services, Great Siege Road, Floriana. VLT 2000 or
on-line from here.
Other documents to be submitted by post together
with a signed copy of the application form include:
i) |
1 copy of the letter of acceptance
from the University or Higher Education Institution
applied for and 1 copy of the letter of acceptance
from the local tuition centre (where applicable); |
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ii) |
1 copy of MaltaQRIC verification report; |
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iii) |
1 copy of your birth certificate or identity
card. |
All documents are required to arrive at Customer
Care Office, Human Resources Development Department,
Directorate for Educational Services, Great Siege
Road, Floriana, VLT 2000 in an envelope addressed
as follows:
The Secretary
Malta Government Scholarships Scheme Board
Directorate for Educational Services
Great Siege Road
Floriana. VLT 2000.
13. General Conditions of Award
| (a) |
Students following courses
which lead to a degree conditional to obtaining
intermediary qualifications classified at a level
lower than MQF Level 6, shall only be entitled
to grants for that portion of the course that
is classified at MQF Level 6 as determined by
the Malta Government Scholarships Schemes Board. |
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| (b) |
Students who are required to repeat a year
of their chosen course of studies shall not be
entitled to the award during the year that they
repeat. |
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| (c) |
Students whose progress, as assessed through
periodical assessment procedures, is deemed to
be unsatisfactory, or who are not attending their
course regularly, shall forfeit the right to
receive the award or part thereof until such
time as the Head of the educational institution,
Institute, or Faculty of the University concerned
certifies that such students have resumed satisfactory
progress or that they are attending regularly. |
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| (d) |
The fixed four-weekly part of the award
is paid during the academic year, including the
Christmas and Easter recesses, but excluding
the summer recess. |
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| (e) |
Where the structure of particular courses
so warrants, the Minister may approve the payment
of an award during the summer recess. |
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| (f) |
Students pursuing a second or subsequent
course after having completed or partially followed
another course at the same level shall not be
entitled to receive awards for that period of
time that is equivalent to the period spent in
the previous course if for that previous course
they were in receipt of any award under the same
scheme. Such students shall only be entitled
to an award for the remaining period of time
after termination of the first period without
an award. |
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| (g) |
Students progressing from a diploma to
a general degree level, or from a general degree
to an honours level, or from a degree to a doctorate
in Laws or in Medicine and Surgery, shall not
be deemed to be following a second course for
the purposes of this regulation. For students
already benefiting from this scheme, they do
not need to re-apply and will continue to benefit
from the scholarship as long as the total duration
of both courses does not exceed the maximum period
of four years. |
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| (h) |
The awards shall be administered by the
SMG Board as established by Part IV (Student
Maintenance Grant Board) of Legal Notice 372
of 2005. |
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| (i) |
The Student Maintenance Grant Board shall
also administer a contingency fund made available
by the Minister responsible for finance for the
consideration of applications for assistance
by students facing extraordinary circumstances. |
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| (j) |
Scholars must inform the Malta Government
Scholarships Scheme Board, in writing, beforehand
of any commitment of employment that may interfere
with their course requirements during the duration
of their award. |
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| (k) |
Scholars whose studies commence later than
the 1st October shall inform, in writing, the
Malta Government Scholarships Scheme Board of
the respective start date of the course and shall
not be entitled to any grants prior to the commencement
date of the course. |
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| (l) |
Scholars who apply before the applications
deadline, but receive the MaltaQRIC verification
report after the official start date of their
course, shall be entitled to all the grants applicable
from the official start date of their course. |
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| (m) |
Students who are in receipt of a scholarship
award whilst they are on paid leave by their
employer for the purposes of a course of studies,
or who accept an offer to enter into a contract
with an employer whereby they bind themselves
to work for that employer following the completion
of their course, and who would therefore benefit
from that pay or the agreed remuneration, will
be entitled to that pay or remuneration in lieu
of the award as provided for in the Schedule
I. |
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| (n) |
Scholars retaining full-time or more than
19 hours of employment contemporarily to their
studies, shall be deemed to be in breach of their
obligation towards full-time studies resulting
in a cancellation of award and refund of any
awards granted by then, unless they have approved
unpaid leave. Applicants and scholars are responsible
for informing the Malta Government Scholarships
Scheme Board of any such situations in advance. |
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| (o) |
Scholars who are public service/sector
employees on full-time employment contracts and
receiving paid leave of absence shall not be
eligible to the scheme. |
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| (p) |
Similar awards or grants to the Malta
Government Scholarships Scheme for the same course/programme
of studies must be declared before formally accepting
the award; |
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| (q) |
The Malta Government Scholarships Scheme
Board reserves the right to publish the names
of applicants selected for awards on the Malta
Government Scholarship Scheme website. In applying
for an award, the candidate gives consent for
such publication in the event that her or his
application is successful. |
14. Additional Requirements
| (a) |
Scholars who are awarded a
scholarship shall receive a letter of confirmation
from the Malta Government Scholarships Scheme
Board. |
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| (b) |
Scholars who do not start their studies
by the commencement date of the course shall
immediately inform, in writing, the Malta Government
Scholarships Scheme Board. and they will forfeit
their rights to the scholarship award. Scholars
who abandon their studies after the commencement
of the course will be requested to communicate,
in writing, to the Malta Government Scholarships
Scheme Board their resignation and the reason/s
behind such resignation. If the Malta Government
Scholarships Scheme Board deems that such resignation
has no valid justification, scholars will be
requested by Malta Government Scholarships Scheme
Board to refund all payments of the scholarship
grant received. Scholars who abandon their studies
due to a valid justification shall be required
to refund the scholarship grant received on a
pro-rata basis from the date of resignation. |
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| (c) |
Scholars receiving awards for courses with
duration of more than one year shall ask their
faculty supervisor to submit a short statement
confirming progress and attendance of the scholar.
Failure to receive this by the Student Maintenance
Grants Office within the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Youth and Sport could lead to a halt
in further instalments of the award. |
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| (d) |
Awards are to obtain one degree and funding
will not be extended to enable candidates to
complete an additional or higher qualification
than that for which the selection was made. |
15. Queries
For further queries, please contact:
Ms Pauline Catania
Malta Government Scholarships Scheme Administrative
Office
Directorate for Educational Services
Great Siege Road
Floriana, VLT 2000
| Tel: |
356 2598 2230 |
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356 2598 2250 |
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| Fax: |
+356 2598 2120 |
Email: ugscholarships.medc@gov.mt
Website: www.education.gov.mt/mgss.htm
Schedule
I, II
Schedule I
(A) General Degree Courses
Students who, under the terms established in these
regulations, are granted a scholarship and are following
a full-time day undergraduate, degree, Doctor or
Laws or Doctor of Medicine course qualify for the
following award for the duration of the course of
their studies:
| 1. |
Except for students following
prescribed courses listed hereunder, a fixed
rate of Eur 83.86 every four weeks payable between
the 1st October and the 30th of June; |
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| 2. |
A sum of Eur 465.87 per academic year
to partly cover expenses related to educational
material and equipment; |
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| 3. |
A one-time grant of Eur 465.87 payable in
the first year. |
(B) Prescribed Degree Courses
Students who, under the terms established in these
regulations are granted a scholarship and are following
a full-time day undergraduate degree course as prescribed,
qualify for the following award for the duration
of the course of their studies:
| 1. |
A fixed rate of Eur 146.75 every
four weeks payable between the 1st October and
the 30th of June; |
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| 2. |
A sum of Eur 698.81 per academic year
to partly cover expenses related to educational
material and equipment; |
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| 3. |
A one-time grant of Eur 698.81 payable in
the first year. |
The prescribed courses are:
| a. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) -
Biology |
| b. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Chemistry |
| c. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Mathematics |
| d. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Physics |
| e. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Statistics & Operations
Research |
| f. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Computer Science |
| g. |
Bachelor of Science (Hons) - Informatics |
| h. |
Bachelor of Science - Engineering |
| i. |
Bachelor of Science - Information Technology |
| j. |
Bachelor of Science - Business and Computing |
| k. |
Bachelor of Education - Biology |
| l. |
Bachelor of Education - Chemistry |
| m. |
Bachelor of Education - Mathematics |
| n. |
Bachelor of Education - Physics |
| o. |
Bachelor of Education - Computer Studies. |
Schedule II
The International Standard Classification of Education
(ISCED)
The International Standard Classification
of Education (ISCED) was designed by UNESCO in
the early 1970’s
to serve ‘as an instrument suitable for assembling,
compiling and presenting statistics of education
both within individual countries and internationally’.
It was approved by the International Conference on
Education (Geneva, 1975), and was subsequently endorsed
by UNESCO’s General Conference when it adopted
the Revised Recommendation concerning the International
Standardization of Educational Statistics at its
twentieth session (Paris, 1978).
Experience over the years with the application of
ISCED by national authorities and international organizations
has shown the need for its updating and revision.
This would further facilitate the international compilation
and comparison of education statistics and take into
account new developments and changes in education
and anticipate future trends in the various regions
of the world, such as
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the multiplication and growth of
different forms of vocational education and training, |
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the increasing diversity of education providers,
and |
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the increasing recourse to distance education
and other modalities based on new technologies. |
The present classification, now known as ISCED
1997, was approved by the UNESCO General Conference
at
its 29th session in November 1997. It was prepared
by a Task Force established by the Director-General
to that effect and is the result of extensive consultations
of worldwide representation. ISCED 1997 covers primarily
two cross-classification variables: levels and fields
of education.
UNESCO's data-collection programme will be adjusted
to these new standards and Member States are invited
to apply them in the reporting of education statistics
so as to increase their international comparability.
To this end, an operational manual, aimed at giving
guidance on the interpretation and practical application
of ISCED 1997, will be prepared in close collaboration
with national experts.
During the 1998/99 biennium work on additional aspects
such as types of education and education providers
will be undertaken and incorporated in the present
classification.
LEVEL 5 - FIRST STAGE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION
(NOT LEADING DIRECTLY TO AN ADVANCED RESEARCH QUALIFICATION)
Principal
characteristics
80. This level consists of tertiary
programmes having an educational content more advanced
than
those offered
at levels 3 and 4. Entry to these programmes
normally requires the successful completion of ISCED
level
3A or 3B or a similar qualification at ISCED
level 4A.
81. All degrees and qualifications are cross-classified
by type of programmes, position in national degree
or qualification structures (see below) and cumulative
duration at tertiary.
Classification criteria
82. For the definition of
this level, the following criteria are relevant:
•
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normally the minimum entrance requirement
to this level is the successful completion of
ISCED level 3A or 3B or ISCED level 4A; |
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level 5 programmes do not lead directly to
the award of an advanced research qualification
(level 6); and |
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these programmes must have a cumulative theoretical
duration of at least 2 years from the beginning
of level 5. |
Complementary dimensions
83. Three complementary
dimensions are needed to subdivide this level:
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the type of programmes dividing
programmes into theoretically based/research
preparatory/giving access to professions with
high skills requirements programmes on the one
hand, practical /technical/ occupationally specific
programmes on the other hand; |
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the cumulative theoretical duration in full
time equivalence; and |
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the position in the national degree or qualification
structure (first, second or further degree, research). |
Combining these three
independent dimensions is the only way to capture
the broad
variety in the
provision
of tertiary education. The choice of
the combination depends on the problems
to
analyse.
Type of programmes
84. The first
dimension to be considered is the distinction between
the programmes
which
are
theoretically based/research
preparatory (history, philosophy, mathematics,
etc.) or giving access to professions
with high skills
requirements (e.g. medicine, dentistry,
architecture, etc.), and those programmes
which are practical/technical/occupationally
specific. To facilitate the presentation,
the first type will be called 5A, the
second, 5B.
85. With the increasing demand for tertiary education
in many countries, the distinction between long streams
and short streams is very important. The long stream
programmes are more theoretical and can lead to advanced
research programmes or a profession with high skills
requirements. The short streams are more practically
oriented.
86. As the organizational structure of tertiary
education programmes varies greatly across countries,
no single criterion can be used to define boundaries
between ISCED 5A and ISCED 5B. The following criteria
are the minimum requirements for classifying a programme
as ISCED 5A, although programmes not satisfying a
single criterion should not be automatically excluded.
If a programme is similar in content to other programmes
meeting each of these criteria, it should be classified
at level 5A.
87. ISCED level 5A programmes are tertiary programmes
that are largely theoretically based and are intended
to provide sufficient qualifications for gaining
entry into advanced research programmes and profession
with high skills requirements. They must satisfy
a sufficient number of the following criteria:
•
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they have a minimum cumulative
theoretical duration (at tertiary) of three years’ full-time
equivalent, although typically they are of 4
or more years. If a degree has 3 years’ full-time
equivalent duration, it is usually preceded by
at least 13 years of previous schooling (see
paragraph 35). For systems in which degrees are
awarded by credit accumulation, a comparable
amount of time and intensity would be required; |
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they typically require that the faculty have
advanced research credentials; |
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they may involve completion of a research project
or thesis; |
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they provide the level of education required
for entry into a profession with high skills
requirements (see paragraph 84) or an advanced
research programme. |
88. Qualifications in category 5B are typically
shorter than those in 5A and focus on occupationally
specific
skills geared for entry into the labour market,
although some theoretical foundations may be
covered in the
respective programme.
89. The content of ISCED level 5B programmes is
practically oriented /occupationally specific and
is mainly designed for participants to acquire the
practical skills, and know-how needed for employment
in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations
or trades - the successful completion of which usually
provides the participants with a labour-market relevant
qualification.
90. A programme should be considered as belonging
to level 5B if it meets the following criteria:
•
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it is more practically oriented
and occupationally specific than programmes at
ISCED 5A, and does not provide direct access
to advanced research programmes; |
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it has a minimum of two years’ full-time
equivalent duration but generally is of 2 or
3 years. For systems in which qualifications
are awarded by credit accumulation, a comparable
amount of time and intensity would be required; |
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the entry requirement may require the mastery
of specific subject areas at ISCED 3B or 4A;
and |
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it provides access to an occupation. |
Cumulative theoretical duration
91. For initial programmes
at tertiary, the cumulative theoretical duration
is simply the theoretical full-time equivalent
duration of those programmes
from the beginning of level 5.
92. For programmes that require completion of other
tertiary programmes prior to admission (see national
degree and qualification structure below), cumulative
duration is calculated by adding the minimum entrance
requirements of the programme (i.e. full-time equivalent
years of tertiary education prerequisites) to the
full-time equivalent duration of the programme. For
degrees or qualifications where the full-time equivalent
years of schooling is unknown (i.e. courses of study
designed explicitly for flexible or part-time study),
cumulative duration is calculated based on the duration
of more traditional degree or qualification programmes
with a similar level of educational content.
93. The categories to be considered would be:
•
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and less than 3 years (particularly
for ISCED level 5B); |
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and less than 4 years; |
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•
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and less than 5 years; |
| |
|
| • |
and less than 6 years; |
| |
|
| • |
years and more. |
National degree and qualification
structure
94. This dimension cross-classifies both
ISCED 5A and 5B qualifications by their position
in the
national
qualification structure for tertiary education
within an individual country.
95. The main reason the national degree and qualification
structure is included as a separate dimension is
that the timing of these awards mark important educational
and labour market transition points within countries.
For example, in country A a student who completes
a three year Bachelor’s degree programme will
have access to a wide range of occupations and opportunities
for further education, whereas the same student studying
in country B (which does not distinguish between
a first and second university degree) will only obtain
a labour market relevant qualification after the
completion of a full four or five year degree programme,
even though the content may be similar to that of
a second (Master’s) degree programme in country
A.
96. The ‘position’ of a degree or qualification
structure is assigned (first, second or further,
research) based on the internal hierarchy of awards
within national education systems. For example, a
first theoretically based degree or qualification
(cross-classifying ‘theoretically based’ type
of programme 5A with ‘first’ in the national
degree and qualifications structure) would necessarily
meet all of the criteria listed above for a theoretically
based programme and lead to the first important educational
or labour market qualification within this type of
programme . The research degree is intended for the
countries which have a non-doctoral research degree
such as the Master of Philosophy in some countries
and want to have it clearly distinguished in international
statistics.
97. When ‘theoretically based’ programmes
are organized and provide sequential qualifications,
usually only the last qualification gives direct
access to level 6, but all these programmes are allocated
to level 5A.
98. Bachelor’s degrees in many
English-speaking countries, the ‘Diploma’ in
many German-speaking countries, and the Licence
in many French-speaking
countries meet the content criteria for the first
theoretically based programmes. Second and higher
theoretically based programmes (e.g. Master’s
degree in English-speaking countries and Maîtrise
in French-speaking countries) would be classified
separately from advanced research qualifications,
which would have their own position in ISCED 6
(see below).
99. Degrees or qualifications with
a different
numerical ranking in two countries may be equivalent
in educational
content. For instance, programmes leading to
a ‘graduate’ or
second degree in many English-speaking countries
have to be classified at level 5 as is the case
for long first degrees in many German-speaking
countries.
It is only by combining national degree structure
with other tertiary dimensions, such as cumulative
theoretical duration and programme orientation,
that enough information is available to group
degrees and qualifications of similar education content.
How the Three
Complementary Dimensions work at Level 5 |
| |
|
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| Theoretical |
LEVEL 5 |
| Cumulative |
5A Programmes |
5B Programmes |
| duration at |
|
|
|
|
|
| tertiary level |
First Degree |
Sec and Further Degree |
Research |
First Qualifications |
Second Qualifications |
| 2 and < 3 years |
|
|
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| 3 and < 4 years |
|
|
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| 4 and < 5 years |
|
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| 5 and < 6 years |
|
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| 6 years and + |
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|
Includes also:
100. This level includes
all the research programmes which are not part
of a doctorate, such as any
type of Master’s degree.
101. In some countries,
students beginning tertiary education enrol
directly for an advanced research
qualification. In this case, the part of the
programme concentrating on advanced research should
be classified
as level 6 and the initial years as level 5.
102.
Adult education programmes equivalent in content
with some ISCED 5 programmes could be
included
at this level.
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