Central concepts and definitions

Joint degree

A joint degree refers to collaboration between two or more institutions on a joint study programme leading to a joint degree. This means that all partner institutions are responsible for the entire programme and not just their own separate parts. A joint degree can be documented by issuing a joint diploma, a joint diploma plus two or more institutional diplomas, or two or more institutional diplomas. This is in line with the definition in the Lisboa Convention, which Norway ratified in 1999.

Lisboa Convention:

A joint degree should be understood as referring to a higher education qualification issued jointly by at least two or more higher education institutions on the basis of a joint study programme.

A joint degree may be issued as

1. A joint diploma in addition to one or more national diplomas
2. A joint diploma issued by the institutions offering the study programme in question without accompanied by any national diploma
3. One or more national diplomas issued officially as the only attestation of the joint qualification in question.

The Erasmus Mundus programme uses a more narrow definition of what constitutes a joint degree:

• A double or multiple degree is defined as two or more nationally recognised diplomas issued officially by two or more institutions involved in an integrated study programme. A joint degree is defined as a single diploma issued by at least two of the institutions offering an integrated study programme.

If a Norwegian university college is to participate in a joint degree, its contribution must be accredited by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT).

Joint study programme

There are several alternative definitiions/models of joint study programmes:

1. A joint study programme refers to situations where two or more institutions collaborate on a joint study programme, but where each institution is responsible for admission and awarding of degrees to its own students. The programme is developed and managed jointly, but each institution “owns” its own students.
2. A joint study programme refers to situations when two or more institutions cooperate on a joint study programme that leads to a degree at one of the partner institutions. From Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions-UHR Handbook on joint degree cooperation:

• Two or more institutions collaborate on a study programme leading up to a degree at one of the institutions. One institution is responsible for the degree and issues the degree diploma. This institution has academic responsibility for the contents of the study programme. The course descriptions must be approved by the institution that issues the degree, and this institution is responsible for assessing the basis for the diploma in relation to the descriptions of learning outcome in the programme description. The institution issuing the diploma is responsible for academic approval of the course and for the quality of the programme.
• If one or more of the institutions that are part of the collaboration is not accredited for the programme of study in question, this institution is not required to apply for accreditation of its own contribution to the programme. It is a precondition that the institution issuing the degree has been accredited for courses at the relevant degree level.

While collaboration on a joint study programme is less of a commitment than a joint degree, many of the same academic, administrative and practical challenges must be discussed and solved by the partner institutions.

Cotutelle/Joint Ph.D. degree

A cotutelle is an individual contract for joint academic supervision at PhD level that regulates the partners’ responsibilities, also with regard to evaluation and defence of doctoral theses. In a report on joint degrees and cotutelle from 30 June 2007, the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR) gave the following description of a cotutelle: 

• A cotutelle agreement is individual. A personal agreement for each PhD candidate will always be required. Additional institutional agreements, national agreements or framework agreements on cotutelle can still be formulated, referring to general procedures and systems. Quality assurance, admission, assessment and diplomas are aspects such agreements could naturally cover.

 A joint PhD degree must contain joint supervision, but it can also entail collaboration on joint research training. In the Erasmus Mundus II programme, it is possible to apply for joint PhD programmes.