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).