Serbian National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education

1. National Council for Higher Education Serbian National Qualifications Frameworkfor Higher Education Presented by Antonije Đorđević April 23, 2010 http://nsvo.etf.rs

2. Legal background • Law on Higher Education (2005) • Standards and procedures for quality assurance of higher education institutions and programs • European Higher Education Area documents • Ministry for Education • National Council for Higher Education • Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance

3. Higher education in Serbia • Present situation: • Two mainstreams: • academic studies • applied studies • Three levels: • First level: basic academic and applied • Second level: masters and specialization • Third level: doctorate no short cycle

4. NQF in Serbia • National qualifications framework is not governed by the Law on Higher Education • National Council for Higher Education has been working on the draft since July 2008 • NQF Draft accepted at the meeting held on November 14, 2008 • Workgroup appointed by Ministry of Education

5. NQF in Serbia • Upgraded at several meetings of the workgroup, supported by Council of Europe, with the participation of stakeholders and foreign experts • Accepted by the National Council for Higher Education on April 23, 2010 • Expecting changes of the Law on Higher Education: NQF to be officially accepted by the Ministry for Education

6. Principles • Independently define NQF for higher education levels • Take into account • legislation in Serbia • Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) • Include • all present levels of higher education • descriptors of learning outcomes • Dublin descriptors are already included into standards • ECTS • prerequisites and access to subsequent levels

7. Introductory text • Bodies responsible for adopting SNQF (Serbian National Qualification Framework) • Basic legislative • Basic goals • What does SNQF define? • SNQF and quality control • Compatibility with EHEA and EQF

8. Abbreviations • Higher education (V) • Academic (A) • Applied (S) • Level (degree) • 1 • 2 • 3 • Sublevel • a • b

9. Structure • Academic • VA-1a – basic, three years (180 ECTS) • VA-1b – basic, four years (240 ECTS) • VA-2a – master/diploma (60 or 120 ECTS) • VA-2b – specialization (60) • VA-3 – doctoral • Applied • VS-1 – basic, three years (180 ECTS) • VS-2 – specialization (60)

10. Items • Title (applied/academic/scientific) • Prerequisite • Minimal ECTS credits • Access to subsequent level • Descriptors of learning outcomes • Compatibility with Bologna cycles (EHEA) • Compatibility with European Qualification Framework (EQF)

11. Sample (in Serbian)

12. Sample (in English)

13. NQF summary (existing law)

14. NQF summary (existing law)

15. Previous classifications

16. NQF summary (expected changes)

17. To be done • Self-certification procedure • Include life-long learning outcomes • Proceed to frameworks for • fields • natural sciences and mathematics • social studies and humanities • medical science • engineering and chemical engineering • arts • areas • ...