There are different terms depicting different kinds of educational cooperation and thus it is important to define what is meant with these terms. From the point of view of this research the terms“joint programme,” “joint curricula” and “joint degree” are most relevant. Despite the fact that these terms are not always clearly defined and sometimes may be used interchangeably with others, the following distinctions will be set as the starting point of this study. These definitions will also be reflected with the self-definitions of the studied masters courses in later analysis.
Joint programme, sometimes also referred to as an integrated study programme, includes all kinds of programmes with periods of study in another university in another country. These kinds of programmes have been about since the 1970s, but most of the joint programmes have emerged after the Bologna Declaration (2003). Joint programmes are aimed at strengthening collaboration between universities in different countries and their main form is the exchange of students and teachers. The studies attained in the partner university may be fully or partially compensated (through credit transfer) and may be included in the degree awarded by the student’s home university. (Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees 2004, 4; Maiworm 2006;
Finocchietti, Finocchietti , Lantero, Damiani and Testuzza 2006; Development of international Joint Degrees and double degrees: Recommendation of the Ministry of Education 2004).
Programmes originally focused on mobility and exchange-based cooperation may also develop joint teaching and even a joint curriculum. In joint curriculum programmes the partner universities require students to take part of their studies in the other partner university/universities as a part of their curriculum. With a joint curriculum the partners should have set joint “educational goals, learning outcomes, i.e. competence profiles of graduates” (Maiworm, 2006, 9) and teaching is
planned and carried out in cooperation (Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees 2004, 4). Three models of joint curriculum programmes may be distinguished. Firstly there may be an identical curriculum in all participating universities with shared learning and teaching methods.
Secondly, there may becomparable courses with different specialisations in each partner university or lastly, the courses offered at the partner universities may becomplementary but mandatory parts in the joint curriculum (Maiworm 2006, 9).
Programmes that have a joint curriculum may lead to the awarding of a double, multiple or joint degree. Andrew Finch (2003) states that a joint degree “can be defined as one programme, which results in one award, authorised by two or more institutions.” The awarding of ajoint degree always entails a joint curriculum and full recognition of all studies (including thesis work) completed in partner universities. In addition to the above mentioned, it is stated in the European level recommendations on joint degrees that all of the following should be considered asjoint degrees: a joint diploma issued by the institutions offering the study programme, a joint diploma in addition to one or more national diplomas and one or more national diplomas issued officially as the only attestation of the joint qualification in question. (Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees 2004, 4). When considering these definitions, they seem to be surprisingly lax, allowing for many different variations. I would not consider the last kind of programme with only national degree diplomas as a joint degree. When examining joint degrees in more detail the following characteristics should be present in order for the degree to be considered astruly joint:
the programmes are developed and/or approved jointly by several institutions
students from each participating institution physically take part in the study programme at other institutions (but they do not necessarily study at all cooperating institutions) students’ stay at the participating institutions should constitute a substantial part of the programme
periods of study and examinations passed at the partner institutions are recognized fully and automatically
the partner institutions work out the curriculum jointly and cooperate on admission and examinations.
In addition, staff of participating institutions should be encouraged to teach at other institutions contributing to thejoint degree (Rauhvargers and Tauch 2002, 29). Finch (2003) seesjoint degrees having a potential to become an element of “a truly European Higher Education Area.” Thus it may be claimed thatjoint degreesand the Bologna Process are closely connected.
Some of these criteria are subjective; for example, there may be differing views on how long a stay should be considered substantial. In the Bologna seminar in Berlin 2006, the abovementioned criteria were further elaborated stating that joint degrees should “be settled on by cooperation, confirmed in a written agreement between institutions.” With these definitions in mind, it is worth mentioning that the Erasmus Mundus programme definitions are based on a “narrower and closer to a ‘true’ joint degree of the one certificate or - diploma type” (Official Bologna Seminar Berlin 2006, 1, 2). The Erasmus Mundus calls for proposals, however, do recognise the national limitations with awardingjoint degrees in several European countries, and thus allow interpretation.
In Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture has given recommendations on the planning and implementation of joint degrees in 2004 (Development of international Joint Degrees and double degrees: Recommendation of the Ministry of Education). These instructions were updated in 2007.
According to these instructions, in order for a joint degree programme to be joint, the student selection criteria and process should be joint. Similarly the curriculum should be planned and carried out together. In addition, the instructions encourage higher education institutions to evaluate the need for a joint programme and its additional value in relation to already existing programmes and degrees.
Generally the instructions do not make a distinction betweenjoint degree programmes where only one degree diploma is issued and double (or multiple) degree programmes. As stated in the recommendation: “…the termjoint degree refers to a joint programme, developed and organised by two or more HEIs, that leads to one or several degree certificates. Thus, the definition does not make a distinction between a joint degree and a double degree” (2004, 1). The fact that this distinction has not been made clearly in the Ministry’s recommendations, has caused some confusion. Issuing only one joint degree diploma has not been possible under the Universities Act, as the legislation requires that a national degree diploma is issued at least in addition to the joint diploma: “every participating Finnish HEI grants a degree to the students it has admitted as degree students” (Development of international Joint Degrees and double degrees: Recommendation of the Ministry of Education 2004, 2). According to the recommendation “[t]he status of joint degrees which do not belong to any country's official education system is still ambiguous and not established. This problem is only partly solved through the amendment of international legal instruments,” such as the Lisbon Strategy (2004, 2). This was not changed in the Finnish national context, in the higher education legislation reform in 2009.