Qualifications Framework

The higher education ministers adopted an overarching framework for qualifications in the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA) and agreed that each participating country will develop a national higher education qualifications framework which is compatible with the overarching European framework. The first, second and third cycles established in the Bologna Process are the key elements of this overarching framework.

Similar to the QF-EHEA, the Higher Education Qualifications Frameworks in Flanders and the Netherlands comprise three levels for the three cycles, i.e. Bachelor's programmes, Master's programmes and Doctorates.

All these higher education qualifications and their demonstrable learning outcomes can be best understood by reference to internationally acceptable descriptors which have been developed jointly by stakeholders across Europe, the Dublin descriptors. The generic Dublin descriptors describe per cycle the learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and competences in order to increase understanding of the higher education system at home and abroad.

To safeguard the quality and understanding of the higher education system of the Netherlands and Flanders abroad, it is important that the Netherlands and Flanders can compare their cycles with the cycles of the other countries using the Dublin descriptors as a common frame of reference. It will make the higher education system of both regions transparent to foreign institutions, students and employers.

The certifications of the Dutch and Flemish qualifications framework have been published on the Bologna- and ENIC-NARIC Internet sites. 

National Qualifications Framework Flanders

National Qualifications Framework The Netherlands 

European Higher Education Area

Questions

Send us your question regarding the national qualifications framework for Flanders or the Netherlands. Please place in the subject rule "NQF-FL" or "NQF-NL"