European joint degrees are among the biggest successes of higher education integration in Europe. These types of programs have curricula which span multiple institutions, offering either one joint qualification or multiple national qualifications. European joint degrees existed even before the introduction of the European University alliances and the Joint European Degree Label, but their numbers are expected to grow significantly due to these recent developments.
The Architecture of Joint Degrees
At its most fundamental level, a joint degree involves multiple higher education institutions issuing a single diploma for a program that is an integrated studying course. A joint degree is different from a double or multiple degree, where students receive multiple degrees. In accordance with the Erasmus+ joint degree policy, a “single diploma and a single diploma supplement” must be signed by representatives of each educational institution jointly awarding the degree. For practical reasons, the distinction is significant as a joint degree program needs accreditation under different national legislations.
The scale of joint degree provision varies considerably. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, the flagship EU-funded program, has supported 719 joint masters and 43 joint doctoral programs since 2004. Yet data reveals a persistent gap between ambition and results: only about one-third (32%) of Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters manage to award fully joint degrees, while 44% receive multiple or double degrees, and 23% receive a combined degree. These statistics highlight the main problem in the development of joint diplomas in Europe — the desire for a single integrated qualification is often confronted with incompatible national accreditation rules and administrative practices.
The Accreditation Bottleneck
The most frequently cited obstacle to joint degrees is accreditation. A study by the European University Association found that rectors' conferences identify accreditation and quality assurance as the most common challenge faced by European Universities alliances when launching joint programs. The European Approach was designed to address this by providing a single quality assurance procedure based on agreed Bologna tools rather than additional national criteria. However, its implementation remains uneven. In some countries, the Approach is not permitted; in others, it is allowed but restricted or rendered impractical by additional national requirements.
This fragmentation produces concrete consequences. Consortia, which include more and more countries, face exponentially increasing complexity, as each national system has its own legal framework, academic calendar, tuition fee structure, and degree awarding authority. The European Commission's 2024 analysis noted that "the legal framework of one single country can limit progress for the rest willing to participate in joint transnational programs" . Even among European Universities alliances—the most structurally ambitious form of transnational cooperation—preliminary monitoring data from 2023 showed that alliances "often struggle to align legal frameworks, academic calendars, accreditation requirements, tuition fees, and administrative practices".
The Joint European Degree Label: A Quality Mark for Integration
Recognising these persistent barriers, the European Commission has introduced the Joint European Degree Label, a voluntary quality mark awarded to joint programs that meet a common set of European criteria. Established by the Council Recommendation of 12 May 2025, the Label is not a new qualification but an additional certificate recognising programs that demonstrate genuine transnational integration. It was formally launched in practice in July 2026, with the first labels awarded to two Erasmus Mundus joint master programs: Marine Biotechnology (EU-CONEXUS alliance) and Global Challenges for Sustainability (CHARM-EU alliance).
Eligibility requires a consortium of at least two degree-awarding institutions from two EU Member States, leading to a joint degree at Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral level. Assessment covers two dimensions. "Dimension A" examines program organisation: joint offering, joint governance, and joint degree award. "Dimension B" assesses the European dimension: interdisciplinarity, digitalisation, multilingualism, inclusiveness, environmental sustainability, and alignment with European values. The Label is awarded either by self-accrediting institutions or by EQAR-registered quality assurance agencies following a compliance assessment.
Crucially, the Label is positioned as a first step toward a possible future Joint European Degree—a new qualification type that could be automatically recognised across the EU. The Commission has made it clear that this label serves as a "badge of distinction" and a testing ground for deeper integration, and Erasmus+ funding supports 22 quality assurance bodies, 14 national authorities and 45 higher education institutions to implement it. Whether this trajectory culminates in a fully fledged European degree remains a political question, but the infrastructure is being built.
Practice in the Alliances
The European Universities Initiative has become the primary laboratory for joint degree innovation. Launched in 2018, the initiative now supports 50 alliances involving more than 430 higher education institutions, with approximately 160 joint programs developed at Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral levels. These alliances pool expertise and resources to create integrated curricula that would be difficult for individual institutions to sustain alone.
The CIVIS alliance illustrates the model in practice. Its catalogue lists 13 joint or multiple degree programs—two Bachelor's and 11 Master's—at various stages from newly approved to fully operational. These programs are "carried by transnational teams of teachers across at least 3 CIVIS universities" and supported by a shared governance model including common selection procedures, consortium agreements, and program boards that include students. Accreditation remains "one of the hardest part of the puzzle," but CIVIS reports convergence on the European Approach as its shared reference point .
Other examples reveal the diversity of disciplinary focus and geographic reach. The Una Europa alliance offers a Joint Bachelor in Sustainability (BASUS), taught across six degree-awarding universities with mobility across Krakow, Paris, Madrid, Helsinki, Zurich, and Leuven. Students receive a single joint degree after completing a common first year and choosing from six bi-disciplinary specialisation tracks. Erasmus Mundus programs extend beyond Europe: the Human Response master involves partners in Portugal, Norway, Uganda, Greece, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, preparing graduates for humanitarian crisis work through multi-continental mobility.
The Student Experience and Labour Market Value
The evidence on outcomes for joint degree graduates is broadly positive. Erasmus Mundus Graduate Impact Surveys indicate that alumni report improvements in employment-relevant skills—language (78%), critical thinking (77%), field-specific skills (76%), and communication (74%)—and are more likely to find jobs matching their education than the average master's graduate. They also demonstrate stronger intercultural development, with 82% reporting greater openness to new challenges and 79% reporting increased tolerance.
These outcomes are not incidental. Joint programs by design require students to navigate different academic cultures, languages, and administrative systems—capacities that employers in internationalised labour markets value. The integrated nature of joint degrees, as opposed to sequential double degrees, means that the curriculum itself is built around comparative and transnational perspectives rather than simply adding an abroad component to a national program.
Remaining Challenges and Future Directions
Despite progress, significant obstacles persist. Beyond accreditation, practical barriers include misaligned academic calendars, differing student status definitions across countries, incompatible digital credential systems, and institutional practices that interpret existing legislation more restrictively than necessary. The Future4Alliances project, which convened stakeholders in Helsinki in 2026, concluded that while legislative barriers have decreased, "practical challenges such as student status, degree certificate practices, academic calendars and digital interoperability remain significant". Importantly, the project noted that "some barriers are not legal in nature but relate to interpretations of legislation, institutional practices, or the limited use of existing flexibility" .
A further weakness is in the funding models that European joint programs rely on. A high number of programs are reliant on project funding under the Erasmus+ program which, in most cases, is for a time period, creating questions regarding sustainability post-pilot programs. It has also been estimated that under the current Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027) European University alliances have been awarded an amount of €1.2 billion and it is essential for the programs that they rely on institutional funding or other sources of income to ensure sustainability.
Conclusion
Joint degrees across European universities have advanced from being peripheral to being an integral component of the European strategy for higher education. With the development of the European Approach for quality assurance and the establishment of European University alliances, much of the foundation for providing integrated joint degrees is in place. European nations have the opportunity to realize the benefits of collaboration for integrated European higher education, which would offer students an opportunity of a genuine European education. While joint degrees will significantly improve the attractiveness of Europe for higher education, a more integrated approach to joint European degrees remains unrealized.
