Qualifications framework for the European Higher Education Area

The Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was adopted at the 2005 Bergen meeting of ministers responsible for higher education. The qualification framework is an instrument for achieving comparability and transparency within the EHEA and facilitating the movement of learners within, as well as between, higher education systems.

The Qualifications Framework for EHEA was revised in 2018 to include short cycle higher education as an independent level. The framework now contains four levels:

• Short cycle
• First cycle
• Second cycle
• Third cycle

The framework includes general learning outcome descriptors for each level and indicative ECTS credit ranges for the first three levels.

Download the qualifications framework from the EHEA website:

• Framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (pdf)

See also:

• The Danish qualifications framework for higher education
• Qualifications Frameworks in the EHEA - The Bologna Secretariat's webpage on qualifications frameworks

• Bergen Communiqué (pdf)

• More about the Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area – ENIC/NARIC portal