Engineering Education at the Association K.U. Leuven: A Changing Higher Education Landscape

Abstract

The implementation of the Bachelor-Master structure has had a deep impact on the organisation of education in Flanders. Students obtain a Bachelors degree after three years of study and a Masters degree after at least one additional year. The former three year programmes at a hogeschool are converted into profession-oriented Bachelors programmes; the former two cycle programmes at hogescholen and universities are converted into academic Bachelors programmes followed by a Masters programme. Furthermore, all programmes must obtain accreditation. Similar quality standards become valid for programmes offered by hogescholen and universities. While these minimum standards do not imply identical educational training, the concern arose that differentiation of engineering education would tend to fade or disappear. Therefore, it is essential to have a clear description of the different profiles of engineering professionals. An overview of the Bachelors and Masters engineering programmes at the Association K.U. Leuven is presented.