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Europe

Main articles: Bologna process, European Higher Education Area, and European Qualifications Framework

Since the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region in 1997 and the Bologna declaration in 1999, higher education systems in Europe are being harmonised through the Bologna process, based on a three-cycle hierarchy of degrees: Bachelor’s/Licence – Master’s – Doctorate, with the later addition of a “short cycle (within the first cycle)” to cover sub-bachelor’s qualifications. This system is gradually replacing the two-stage system previously used in some countries and is combined with other elements such as the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the use of Diploma Supplements to make comparisons between qualifications easier.

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was formally established in 2010 and as of September 2016 has 50 members. Implementation of the various elements of the EHEA varies. Twenty-four countries have fully implemented a national qualifications framework and a further ten have a framework but have not yet certified it against the overarching framework; in 38 countries ECTS credits are used for all higher education programmes; 31 countries have fully implemented diploma supplements; and only 11 countries have included all the major points of the Lisbon Recognition Convention in national legislation.

From 2008, the European Union has been developing the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). This is an eight-level framework designed to allow cross-referencing of the various national qualifications frameworks. While it is not specific to higher education, the top four levels (5–8) correspond to the short cycle, first cycle, second cycle and third cycle of the EHEA.

Austria

In Austria, there are currently two parallel systems of academic degrees:

the traditional two-cycle system of Magister/Diplom followed by the Doctorate and
the three-cycle system of Bachelor, Master and Doctorate as defined by the Bologna process.

With a few exceptions, the two-cycle degree system will be phased out by 2010. Some of the established degree naming has, however, been preserved, allowing universities to award the “Diplom-Ingenieur” (and for a while also the “Magister”) to graduates of the new-style Master programmes.

Belgium

While higher education is regulated by the three communities of Belgium, all have common and comparable systems of degrees that were adapted to the Bologna structure during the 2000s. The primary 3-cycle structure is called BMD (Bachelor-Master-Doctorate; French: Bachelier-Master-Doctorat or Dutch: Bachelor-Master-Doctoraat).

At the first cycle, the Bachelor’s degree [fr] is issued after 180 ECTS (3 years, EQF level 6). Other first cycle degrees include the one-year Advanced Bachelor’s degree [fr; nl] degree (French: Bachelier de spécialisation, lit. ‘Specialized Bachelor’; Dutch: Bachelor-na-bachelor, lit. ‘Bachelor-after-bachelor’) and the Brevet (in the French-speaking Community only) for short-cycle higher education programmes.

Bachelor’s degree are followed in the second cycle (EQF level 7) by Master’s degree [fr], that last two year completing an extra 120 ECTS credits. The Master’s degree can yet again be followed by an Advanced Master’s degree [fr; nl] (French: Master de spécialisation, lit. ‘Specialized Bachelor’; Dutch: Master-na-master, lit. ‘Master-after-master’) that lasts one year (60 ECTS).

The third cycle of Belgium’s higher education is covered by the Doctorate [fr] degree (French: Doctorat; Dutch: Doctoraat) that cover a 3 to 7 year long PhD.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic implemented the Bologna process, so there are basically three degrees: Bachelor (3 years), Master (2 years after Bachelor) and Doctor (4 years after Master).

There are also voluntary academic titles called “small doctorates” (e.g. RNDr. for natural sciences, PhDr. for philosophy, JUDr. for law etc.) achieved after rigorosum exam. Medical students do not get bachelor’s or master’s degrees, instead they study for six years and after obligatory rigorous exam they get the title MUDr. (equivalent to MD degree)^{[clarification needed]} or MDDr. for dentists or MVDr. for veterinary physicians. They can also get “big doctorate” (Ph.D.) after another three or (more often) four years of studies.

Bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and small doctorates in the form of shortcuts (Bc., Mgr., Ing., …) are listed before the person’s name; a Doctor’s degree (Ph.D.) is listed after name (e.g. MUDr. Jan Novák, Ph.D.). There are more degrees that used to be awarded.