The University of Andorra (UdA) is an institution with international recognition. Andorra has been part of the EHEA (European Higher Education Area) since 2010, and therefore all the UdA’s official education qualifications have been adapted to the guidelines and principles of this framework and are recognised in the 48 European states that comprise it.
The EHEA establishes a comprehensible system of comparable qualifications based on three university levels and the standard that 60 European credits correspond to the workload of a full-time student during one academic year. Thus, there is a first cycle (bachelor’s degree) consisting of between 180 and 240 credits, a second cycle (master’s degree) with between 60 and 120 credits and a third cycle corresponding to the doctoral programme, with no pre-set duration.
In Andorra, as in most European countries, the first university cycle is called a bachelor’s degree and comprises 180 credits (three full-time academic years), while the second cycle studies for the master’s degree require 120 credits (two full-time years). The Doctoral Programme of the University of Andorra lasts three years on a full-time basis.
The EHEA also recognises 120-credit short-cycle programmes that provide students with knowledge, skills and competences to facilitate their entry into the labour market, although they are not counted as higher education cycles. In Andorra they are called Advanced Professional Diplomas (DPAs in Catalan).
The fact that UdA qualifications are recognised in all the countries of the EHEA enables students to complete mobility programmes abroad, providing academic recognition of their qualifications (so as to continue their studies in another country). All Andorran state university diplomas are accompanied by the European Diploma Supplement, an academic certificate for completed studies that is recognised throughout Europe.
