Each certificate and degree is placed at one of the eight levels in the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. When this is carried out, the individual certificate or degree is compared with a descriptor for a level. The level descriptors are defined by knowledge, skills and competence which together describe the learning outcome of a given level.
Read about:
- Principles for including qualifications in the framework
- Procedures for including qualifications in the framework
- Quality assurance of the inclusion
- Qualification levels on certificates and other documents
- Qualifications from private institutions etc.
Certificates and degrees
Certificates and degrees are divided into two categories:
Certificates and certificates for supplementary qualifications
The certificates for the Leaving Examination of the Primary and Lower Secondary School, upper secondary qualification certificates, vocational education and training certificates, certificates for certain maritime qualifications, certificates for preparatory adult education, certificates for general adult education and certificates for Adult Vocational Training and single subject courses are placed at levels 1-5 in the Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning.
Degrees
Within higher education, the following degrees are awarded: Academy Profession degree, Bachelor's degree, Professional Bachelor's degree, Master’s degree, PhD degree and degrees within adult/continuing higher education: Academy Profession degree, Diploma degree and Master degree. The degrees are placed at levels 5 to 8 in the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning via the Qualifications Framework for the Higher Education. The descriptors for levels 6 to 8 correspond to the level descriptors in the framework for higher education.
Principles for including qualifications in the framework
The inclusion of certificates and degrees into the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning is based on an assessment of the learning outcomes that the individual degree/certificate documents in relation to the framework’s level descriptors.
The assessment is to be based on one of the two following principles:
Full fit
The learning outcomes must completely correspond to the level descriptor for a given level in terms of knowledge, skills and competence. This principle is applied when placing degrees and certificates at levels 6-8 in the Qualifications Framework and when placing degrees in the higher education system at level 5 (the Academy Profession degree and VVU degree).
Best fit
The learning outcomes must in general, in terms of knowledge, skills and competence, fit better with the level descriptor for a given level than for other levels. This principle is applied when placing certificates and certificates for supplementary qualifications at levels 1-5 in the Qualifications Framework.
Supplementary qualifications
Supplementary qualifications are a special case in that in general they must fulfil the requirements concerning either knowledge, skills or competence at a given level. When such certificates are to be included, it is therefore a matter of finding the focal point in the learning outcome and then finding the level descriptor to which it best corresponds.
Procedures for including qualifications in the framework
The procedures for including certificates and degrees in the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning are linked with the procedures applying to the accreditation and/or approval of new qualifications in the individual areas.
Primary and lower secondary school
The Minister for Education determines the inclusion of qualifications into the Qualifications Framework.
General adult education and preparatory adult education
The Minister for Education determines the inclusion of qualifications into the Qualifications Framework.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Inclusion of qualification into the Qualifications Framework takes place on the basis of an assessment and recommendation by one of the trade committees and the Minister for Education approves the recommendation.
The trade committees consist of representatives of the social partners. The main task of the trade committees is to develop new vocational education and training qualifications and programmes and further develop existing programmes, and they have a high degree of co-responsibility for the qualifications and the objectives and content of the programmes.
Guidelines have been drawn up for the trade committees with further information about procedures for including vocational education and training qualifications into the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning:
Upper secondary education
The Minister for Education determines the inclusion of qualifications into the Qualifications Framework.
Adult Vocational Training
Inclusion of qualifications into the Qualifications Framework takes place on the basis of an assessment and recommendation by one of the vocational training committees and the Minister for Education approves the recommendation.
The vocational training committees consist of representatives of the social partners. The vocational training committees develop new adult vocational training programmes and they have a high degree of co-responsibility for the objectives and content of the programmes.
Guidelines have been drawn up for the vocational training committees with further information about procedures for including adult vocational training into the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning:
Maritime education and training
The Ministry of Higher Education and Science includes a qualification into the Qualifications Framework takes place in the context of developing the programme leading to that qualification.
Before inclusion the Maritime Education Council will examine the proposal for the new programme, including its level in the qualifications framework.
The Maritime Education Council of the representatives of ship owners and seafarers associations, Danish Agency for Higher Education and Educational Support, the Danish Maritime Authority, lecturers and student organisations.
Higher Education
Inclusion of a qualification into the Qualifications Framework takes place when the specific programme leading to the qualification is being accredited or in the context of the quality assurance conducted by the an accredited educational institution.
An accreditation is an assessment of whether an education programme leading to a given qualification meets external, pre-defined criteria for quality and academic level. The Accreditation Agency for Higher Education performs the assessment, and the Accreditation Council makes the decision.
For further information about the procedures for the accreditation of higher education under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture:
Quality assurance of the inclusion
Inclusion of degrees and certificates into the Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning takes place as part of the procedures for approval and/or accreditation of new qualifications.
In the case of higher education, inclusion and placing of degrees at levels 5-8 is quality assured through the Qualifications Framework for the Higher Education Area. Accreditation of new and existing education programmes involves, among other things, a professional and independent assessment of whether the learning outcomes of the individual programmes are in full agreement with the relevant level that is laid down in the Qualifications Framework for the Higher Education Area.
Inclusion of degrees for higher education is built into the accreditation system and it is thus automatically covered by the Danish national quality assurance system for higher education. The system of accreditation for higher education is in accordance with international standards, including the general Bologna Framework.
For all other qualifications, which are not subject to accreditation, quality assurance of the inclusion of certificates takes place in connection with the approval of new qualifications and programmes, and the programmes’ learning outcomes and level are assessed and documented in relation to the levels in the Qualifications Framework. The qualifications are described in terms of national objectives and are covered by national rules for quality assurance and assessment of learning outcome.
For Vocational Education and Training and Adult Vocational Training, inclusion and placing of certificates at levels 2-5 is quality assured by means of procedures for validating new qualifications and programmes. This has been expanded to also include special procedures for assessing and validating the level of the qualification in the Qualifications Framework. Guidelines have been drawn up for the inclusion of certificates, and the procedures and criteria used for the inclusion are under evaluation.
In the case of maritime education and training at levels 3 to 5, the inclusion is quality assured in connection with the procedure for approval of the programme in question. This includes an expert assessment to determine whether the learning outcomes of the programme fully match the relevant level as defined in the Qualifications Framework. For maritime professional bachelor's degrees, the procedure for higher education applies (see above).
Qualification levels on certificates and other documents
Levels are added on the certificates or documents that students receive when they have achieved a qualification.
The procedure for showing the qualification level on the qualification documents depends on the type of education.
Higher education
For all higher education programmes a Diploma Supplement is issued as an appendix to the degree certificate. The Danish qualification level and the EQF level are stated in the Diploma Supplement.
Maritime education and training
The minimum requirements for information in the qualification certificates are stipulated in the executive order on examinations in maritime education programmes. The certificate must state the level of the qualification in 1) the Danish Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning and 2) the European Qualifications Framework or the Danish qualifications framework for higher education.
Qualifications from private institutions etc.