Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

Changing direction of the national QA system for HEI in Sweden• Greater autonomy means increased

responsibility for HEI to design their own activities so that high quality is developed and maintained.

• Students, the labour market and other stakeholders also needs information concerning the quality of study programmes.

• Quality-based funding

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

The Swedish Quality Assurance Model

1. The HEI apply for the entitlement to award degrees at the Swedish National Agency for higher education. Presupposition: an internal quality process at the HEI – internal accreditiation

2. The Agency analyses and assesses the applications. A peer review group scrutinize the qualifications of teaching staff, learning environment, curricula, research basis, institutional quality assurance system etc.

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

The Swedish Quality Assurance Model

3. If accredited -the HEI carry through study programmes and award degrees to students. Presupposition: The HEI continues their internal quality work.

4. Later (every 4:th year): The Agency evaluates the quality of education at the HEI by asking: How do you know that the students you have awarded a degree have achieved the goals (the learning outcomes) stated in the Higher Education Ordinance?

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

Three assessment criteria:

•The students’ degree projects,

•the self-evaluations of HEI in combination with site visits, and

•questionnaires sent to students and alumni

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

Quality- based funding

• A complement to the present allocation system

• New resources – approx. 30 million Euro• The funding are allocated to the HEI• The amount depends on the number of

excellent study-programmes and the number of full-time students in each programme.

• Will start in 2013 an be fully implemented in 2015

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

An overall appraisal

• An overall appraisal of the study programme’s quality on a three-level scale:

1.Inadequate quality – The degree awarding power will be questioned or withdrawn

2.High quality3.Very high quality –extra funding

Ministry of Education and Research Sweden

Results

• First results presented in April 2012 – results for about 500 study programmes

• Very high quality – 14 %• High quality – 60 %• Inadequate quality – 26%