Table 1: Correspondence of Levels Established Between National Qualifications Frameworks

EDUCATION LEVELS OF AWARD

Table 1: correspondence of levels established between national qualifications frameworks and the EQF

NFQ Award Types / National Framework for Qualifications for Ireland (NFQ IE) / European Qualifications Framework (EQF) / Qualifications and Credit Framework England/Northern Ireland (QCF) / Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) / Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
Doctoral Degree; Higher Doctorate / 10 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 12
Masters Degree; Post-graduate Diploma / 9 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 11
Level 7 = Ordinary Bachelor Degree
Level 8 – Honours Bachelor Degree; Higher Diploma / 8/7 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 10/9
Advanced Certificate (FET Award); Higher Certificate (HET Award) / 6 / 5 / 5/4 / 5/4 / 8/7
Level 5 Certificate; Leaving Certificate / 5 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 6
Level 4 Certificate; Leaving Certificate / 4 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 5
Level 3 Certificate; Junior Certificate / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 4
Level 1 Certificate
Level 2 Certificate / 2/1 / 1 / E3 / E3 / 3
E2 / E2 / 2
E1 / E1 / 1

Table 2 shows the outcome of varying compatibility of higher education frameworks and creditsfor England, Wales & Northern Ireland (FHEQ) for Scotland (FQHEIS/SCQF), and for the Republic of Ireland (NFQ IE) within the FQ-EHEA (the Bologna Framework)

Typical Higher Education Level within each level / FHEQ Level
(England, Wales & Northern Ireland) / FQHEIS/
SCQF Level
(Scotland) / NFQ IE Level
(Republic of Ireland) / Corresponding
FQ – EHEA Cycle
(Bologna Framework) / ECTS Credits / UK Credit Equivalent
Doctoral degrees / 8 / 12 / 10 / Third cycle (end of cycle) qualifications / PhD/DPhil - Not typically credited. / Some professional doctorates are credit based (e.g. EdD, DBA, DClinPsy)
Master’s degrees (including integrated Master’s) / 7 / 11 / 9 / Second cycle (end of cycle qualifications) / 60-120 ECTS credits / Taught MPhil
240-360 credits
Taught master’s degrees (e.g. MA, MSc)
150-180 credits
Integrated master’s degrees (e.g. MEng, MChem, MPhys) 120-480 credits
Postgraduate diplomas / Intermediate qualifications within the second cycle / 60ECTS credits / 90-120 credits
Postgraduate certificates / 30 ECTS credits / 40-60 credits
Bachelor’s degrees with honours/Honours Bachelor’s Degrees / 6 / 10 / 8 / First cycle (end of cycle) qualifications
Intermediate qualifications within the first cycle / 240 ECTS credits / 360 credits
Higher Diploma / 8 / 60 ECTS credits
Bachelor’s degrees/Ordinary Bachelor Degree / 9 / 7 / 180 ECTS credits / 300 credits
Graduate Diploma / 9 / 60ECTS credits / 80 credits
Graduate Certificate / 30 ECTS credits / 40 credits
Foundation Degrees (e.g. FdA, FdSc) / 5 / 8 / 6 / Short cycle (within or linked to the first cycle) qualifications / 120 ECTS credits / 240 credits
Diplomas of Higher Education (DipHE) / 240 credits
Higher National Diplomas (HND) / 240 credits
Higher National Certificates (HNC) / 4 / 7 / Intermediate qualifications within the short cycle / 120-150 credits
Certificates of Higher Education (CertHE) / 90-120 credits

The first two Bologna cycles are associated with the following ECTS credit ranges:

First cycle qualifications typicallyinclude, 180-240 ECTS credits

Second cycle qualifications typically include 90-120 ECTS credits, with a minimum of 60 ECTS credits at the level of the 2nd cycle.

Individual learners may be awarded more or fewer than 60 ECTS credits per academic year if they successfully undertake more or fewer educational components than those scheduled in the learning programme.

In everyday practice, two UK credits are equivalent to one ECTS credit. For the award of ECTS credits, the learning outcomes of a qualification must be consistent with the relevant outcomes set out in the Dublin descriptors

“The Dublin Descriptors offer generic statements of typical expectations of achievements and abilities associated with qualifications that represent the end of each of a Bologna cycle. They are not meant to be prescriptive; they do not represent threshold or minimum requirements and they are not exhaustive; similar or equivalent characteristics may be added or substituted. The descriptors seek to identify the nature of the whole qualification.” (ECTS Users, Guide, 2009:15)