AEC Handbook International Recognition

AEC PUBLICATIONs 2008

handbook the international recognition of studies and qualifications in higher music education

‘mundus musicalis’ working group

A free electronic version of this handbook is available through www.aecinfo.org/mundusmusicalis.

The Mundus Musicalis project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the view of its authors and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which might be made of the information contained therein.

handbook The International Recognition of Studies and Qualifications in Higher Music Education

‘Mundus musicalis’ working group

Design: Janine Jansen, Amsterdam

Contents

Foreword

PART A: General introduction

5 7

Introduction to the International Recognition of Studies and Qualifications

7

Introduction to the Recognition of Studies and Qualifications in the European Region

9

PART B: Academic Recognition

18

Academic recognition

18

The Diploma Supplement

18

Credit point systems

19

Comparative analysis of existing systems at an international level

19

Introduction to the European situation with regards to credit points

19

International overview of national credit point systems in music

21

Austria

21

Australia

21

Belgium (Flanders)

22

Belgium (Wallonia)

22

Brazil

22

Canada

22

Croatia

22

Czech Republic

22

Denmark

22

Estonia

22

France

22

Greece

23

Iceland

23

Ireland

23

Korea

23

Latvia

23

Lithuania

23

Malta

23

Netherlands (The)

23

Norway

23

Poland

23

Portugal

24

Romania

24

Slovakia

24

Spain

24

Sweden

24

Switzerland

24

Turkey

24

United Kingdom

24

USA

24

PART C: Professional Recognition

Why are qualifications important in the field of music?

26 26

Regulated professions in the field of music

26

An international overview per country of regulated music professions

28

Austria

28

Australia

28

Belgium – Flanders

29

Belgium – Wallonia

29

Brazil

30

Bulgaria

31

Canada

31

Cyprus

32

Czech Republic

33

Denmark

33

Estonia

34

Finland

35

France

36

Germany

37

Greece

38

Hungary

38

Iceland

39

Ireland

39

Italy

40

Korea

41

Latvia

41

Liechtenstein

41

Lithuania

42

Luxembourg

42

Malta

43

The Netherlands

44

Norway

45

Poland

46

Portugal

46

Romania

47

Slovakia

47

Slovenia

48

Spain

48

Sweden

49

United Kingdom

50

USA

50

FOREWORD The ‘Mundus Musicalis’ project The ‘Mundus Musicalis’ project (the first project in the field of music supported by the ERASMUS MUNDUS programme) has studied international cooperation, and the comparability of systems and qualifications in the field of higher music education. The project ran from 1 December 2005 to 1 December 2007 and was jointly coordinated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology – Department of Music (NTNU) and the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC). Project partner organisations were Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), McGill University – Schulich School of Music (Montreal, Canada), Le Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec (Québec City, Canada), University of Adelaide – Elder Conservatorium (Adelaide, Australia), Queensland Conservatorium – Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia), Keimyung University – College of Music & Performing Arts (Daegu, Korea), National Association of Schools of Music – NASM (USA), and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – Institute for the Arts (Porto Alegre, Brazil). A working group was established with one representative from each partner institution, which collected and analysed relevant information, and drafted the final project documents. The project realised an ambitious working programme with working group meetings in Europe, North America and Asia, and several conference presentations world-wide.

Higher music education: national systems, international recognition and quality assurance One of the main aims of ‘Mundus Musicalis’ was to create a greater understanding of issues regarding professional music training in and outside Europe, leading to the removal of obstacles in relation to the recognition of music studies and qualifications, in order to facilitate an increased mobility and employability of students, teachers and professionals. However, the ‘Mundus Musicalis’ working group felt that the recognition of studies and qualifications was not only a matter of technical procedures and international conventions, but also a matter of providing structured and up-todate information about higher music education systems in other countries. As a result, the working group compiled an unprecedented amount of information about higher music education systems world-wide in the form of national descriptions , which have been developed following a set format to achieve maximum comparability.

Moreover, as the exchange of information on quality assurance and accreditation procedures is essential to the development of mutual trust to underpin an effective recognition of qualifications, a document was produced with a focus on quality assurance and accreditation procedures in music at the international level, which lists, compares and analyses the existing procedures in 34 countries .

These national descriptions can be found at www.studymusicineurope.org and www.bologna-and-music.org/countryoverviews.

This document entitled ‘Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Music Education – an International Comparison’ can be

found at www.bologna-and-music.org/externalqa.

About this document In addition to the general information on national higher music education systems mentioned above, the ‘Mundus Musicalis’ working group also studied technical issues related to the recognition of studies and qualifications. It collected data on the various credit point systems that can facilitate the recognition of studies, as well as on the recognition of qualifications at international level. The outcomes of this work can be found in this document, which consists of 3 parts: • PART A gives general information about the international recognition of studies and qualifications in higher education. It explains the main international conventions dealing with this issue and introduces the various tools used. This part also explains the distinction between academic and professional recognition.

• PART B addresses academic recognition in the field of music and the various tools that can support it, such as credit point systems and the diploma supplement. It also includes an overview of the use of credit point systems in 31 countries worldwide.

• PART C presents information on professional recognition, including a reflection on the importance of professional qualifications in the field of music, general information on professional recognition procedures with a distinction between regulated and non-regulated professions, and a comprehensive list of regulated professions in music in 36 countries worldwide.

The information in this document about the recognition of studies and qualifications is accessible in different formats on various website maintained by the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC), such as the ‘Bologna & Music’, the ‘DoReMiFaSOCRATES’ and the ‘StudyMusicinEurope’ websites to ensure that the information will reach various interested audiences.

These websites can be found at www.bologna-and-music.org, www.doremifasocrates.org, www.studymusicineurope.org.