The Bologna Process: FAQ

By presenting the essentials, this Q&A page provides the key information regarding the Bologna Process and the development of the European Higher Education Area.

Published on
Les Étoiles de l'Europe
Crédit: MESR

What is the Bologna Process?

The Bologna Process

The Bologna Declaration, signed in 1999 by the ministers responsible for higher education in 29 European countries, marked the start of the convergence between the higher education systems of European countries. This declaration commits the signatories to six main objectives:

  • Transparent and comparable qualifications,

  • The structuring of higher education into two cycles: Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees,

  • The use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to facilitate the recognition of periods of study,

  • The promotion of student mobility,

  • Cooperation on quality assurance,

  • The development of a European higher education.

These objectives were subsequently clarified, and in some cases expanded upon, in the releases issued at the eight Ministerial Conferences that followed the Bologna Declaration.

Haut de page