Article

The new methodology for the validation and modification of bachelor's and master's degree programmes

Albert Basart Capmany and Sandra Nieto Viramonte, senior advisors of Quality Assurance Department

More than a decade has passed since the process of adapting university degree programmes to the European Higher Education Area was completed in Spain, an adaptation linked to regulatory changes that established validation (or ex-ante accreditation) as a key element within the set of quality assurance processes of these new degree programmes.

In January 2011, AQU Catalunya published the Guide to the formulation and validation of proposals for recognised Bachelor and Master's degree programmes, a guide that has been revised and updated over the years and of which six editions have been published to date.

A few months ago, the publication of Royal Decree 822/2021 of 28 September, which establishes the organisation of university education and the procedure for quality assurance, led to significant changes in the validation process, affecting both the universities, which must draw up and approve study programmes in accordance with the regulations in force, and the AQU Catalunya assessment commissions, which must adapt their assessment criteria to this regulation. The modification of the structure of the degree programme validation reports, as well as of some of the criteria considered until now, has led the Agency to draw up a completely new Guide to the elaboration, validation and modification of recognised bachelor's and master's degree programmes.

This is a new guide, but it does not start from scratch, as a series of references have been taken into account in its writing, in particular:

Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) (Brussels: ENQA, 2015). This is the reference document for quality assurance institutions and agencies for the design, implementation and review of internal and external quality assurance systems in higher education.
Framework for the validation, monitoring, modification and accreditation of recognised university degrees (MVSMA) (Barcelona: AQU Catalunya, 2016). The VSMA Framework sets out AQU Catalunya's position on the different processes of assessment of recognised degree programmes and establishes the common framework within which the validation, monitoring, modification and accreditation processes are interrelated.
Standards and criteria for the assessment of university bachelor's and master's degrees (Barcelona: AQU Catalunya, 2022). This is the document that sets out the standards and criteria that AQU Catalunya will apply in the quality assessment of university training programmes.

The new guide is divided into two main sections. The first section structures the areas of assessment in accordance with the model report defined in Annex II of the aforementioned Royal Decree 822/2021. For each of the eight assessment areas, the following information is provided:

Quality standard(s) and sub-standards applicable to the area, codified according to the document Standards and criteria for the assessment of university bachelor's and master's degrees.
Criteria to be taken into account when assessing the level of achievement of the area.
Information necessary to complete the report according to the proposed model (format, length, requirements, etc.).

The second section of the guide provides information on the type of modifications to previously validated study programmes. In this regard, guidelines are given on the nature of the changes that can be introduced in the reports as a result of the monitoring and review of study programmes through the modification process.

The guide also includes references to framework documents and accompanying methodological materials that further develop some of the relevant aspects of assessment. Examples include the Catalan Higher Education Qualifications Framework, the General framework for incorporating the gender perspective in higher education teaching and the first document in the "Focus" collection, Degree programme profiles, which is presented in this April edition of the bulletin.

Seven months after the publication of Royal Decree 822/2021, we are ready to start a new call for validation according to the new regulatory framework and through the new methodology, which has already been approved.

In the next few months we will have to remain vigilant in trying to resolve the many doubts that still exist about the application of the new regulation. And, above all, we will have to work to ensure that the methodology is useful in improving the design of new proposals for recognised degrees at Catalan universities, the ultimate goal of this whole process.