Practical
Information
Implementation of
the Bologna Declaration
Part
I: France
Editor's
Note: This is the first of a series of articles dealing with the implementation
of the Bologna reforms on a country by country basis. The next issue of
eWENR will look at Germany.
by Robert
Sedgwick
Editor, eWENR
 In
the 1960s and 1970s, many countries in Europe attempted to meet the needs
of a changing labor market by creating binary systems of education: academic
and vocational. The emergence of new services and new industries impelled
a number of European governments to develop the non-university sector
to satisfy the rising demand for skilled professionals. However, such
reforms were implemented on a country-specific basis.
More recently,
the creation of a unified European market and the adoption of a single
currency (the Euro) have been pushing the demand for trained professionals
beyond the borders of individual countries. Under the Bologna Declaration,
endorsed by 29 nations in June 1999, Europeans have pledged to modify
their diverse degree structures in an effort to move towards a unified
system of higher education.
As a result
of the declaration, France is implementing a series of preliminary measures
aimed at doing just that: facilitating the cross-border mobility of students
and working professionals by adopting the Anglo-Saxon system of higher
education. In addition to introducing a new vocational qualification,
the licence professionnelle, France has also created a new master's
degree called the mastaire. Both credentials are aimed at improving
the transparency of the French education system while meeting the demands
of an increasingly unified European labor market.
The entire
French action plan is to be implemented over a period of 18 months. Additional
reform measures include:
1) The development
of new and the enhancement of existing foreign language programs.
2) Bolstered
support to increase international student mobility.
Below we
have outlined the French system of higher education before the Bologna
Declaration, and the two reform measures that have been introduced since
the agreement was signed.
OLD SYSTEM
Stage
I: The first cycle is two years in length leading to the diplôme
d'études universitaires générales (DEUG). Students
may also enroll in a two-year scientific course for professional employment
leading to the diplôme d'études universitaires scientifiques
et techniques (DEUST).
In addition,
universities offer short, two-year technical programs leading to the diplôme
universitaire de technologie (DUT).
Stage
II: This stage provides academic training at the advanced level and
prepares students for a profession. The degree of licence is awarded
after one year of study in the humanities, science, law and economics.
One year
of study after the licence leads to the maîtrise in
arts and sciences. In management and technology, students who hold a DEUG
can study directly for the maîtrise, which is awarded after
two years.
Stage
III: The third cycle of post-secondary education requires a high degree
of specialization and research leading to either a professionally oriented
final qualification, diplôme d'études supérieures
spécialisées (DESS), or to a doctorat.
Students
who successfully complete one year of study after the maîtrise are
awarded the diplôme d'études approfondies (DEA) and may continue
on for the doctorat requiring between one and two additional years of
research and the writing of a dissertation.
NEW SYSTEM (REFORMS)
I.
Licence Professionnelle
The licence
professionnelle is a short-term vocational degree, which was established
to train specialized professionals who meet the demands of the European
labor market.
Professional
degree programs will be offered to holders of qualifications that have
been awarded upon completion of two years of study beyond the baccalaureate,
or to holders of equivalent diplomas (i.e. the diplôme
d'études universitaires générales, the brevet de
technicien supérieur and the diplôme universitaire de technologie).
Again, none of the old qualifications will be abolished.
These programs
lead to a Stage II qualification at the intermediate level between the
qualified technicians' diploma and the engineering or senior management
diplomas. The licence professionnelle requires three years of study
beyond the baccalaureate.
The idea
behind this new qualification is to help students obtain fast-track vocational
qualifications, thereby facilitating their integration into the labor
market. A credit-transfer system will enable students to pursue additional
training at any time if they have the capacity and desire to do so.
The licence
professionnelle is based on an integrated approach to vocational teaching.
Course design, course delivery and job placement are all predicated on
forging links between the institution offering the degree and the working
environment on the outside.
In addition,
the licence professionnelle places special emphasis on student
self-motivation and personal achievement. The program is divided into
12 to 16 weeks of course work, supervised projects and the preparation
of an oral thesis.
Courses for
the licence professionnelle are organized and taught in a life-long-learning
format. The degree program ensures hands-on training for students and
enables them to assess their career plans. It also allows students to
complete part of their degree programs in other countries, under international
student mobility agreements.
The licence
professionnelle degrees were first awarded in 2000.
II. Mastaire: A New Degree
The newly
introduced mastaire, decreed on August 30, 1999, is an intermediate
qualification established alongside the existing first degree and doctoral
qualifications. It is not to be confused with the three-year magistère,
which was first introduced in 1985 and remains a fairly insignificant
degree.
The mastaire
will be awarded to students who have successfully completed five years
of study beyond the baccalaureat (upper secondary school-leaving
certificate).
Moreover,
the new degree will provide a single designation covering a range of state-recognized
diplomas or qualifications earned five years after the baccalaureat.
Such qualifications include the diplôme d'études supérieures
spécialisées, the titre d'ingénier diplôme,
the diplôme d'études approfondies, etc. Please note
that none of the existing qualifications will be abolished.
In addition,
the new mastaire degree will be offered at all French institutions
of higher education (universities and grandes écoles), regardless
of their supervisory ministry, classification and curriculum.
For the first
time in France, qualifications earned from universities and those obtained
from grandes écoles will have the same designation. This
reform measure is aimed at promoting greater cooperation between these
institutions, while preserving the identity of the different components
of the French system.
The mastaire
is an internationally recognized academic qualification that will facilitate
student mobility. Not only will the new degree enhance the marketability
of French students seeking employment abroad, but it will also make higher
education in France more attractive to foreign students.
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