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ADiplom (German:[diˈploːm]^ⓘ, fromAncient Greek:δίπλωμα,romanized: diploma) is anacademic degree in the German-speaking countriesGermany,Austria, andSwitzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries includingAlbania,Bulgaria,Belarus,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,Estonia,Finland,Poland,Russia, andUkraine and only forengineers inFrance,Greece,Hungary,North Macedonia,Romania,Serbia,Slovenia, andBrazil.

The Diplom originates from the French Diplôme (Diplôme de l'ordre impérial de la légion d'honneur) describing a certificate devised during theSecond French Empire to bestow honours upon outstanding citizens and soldiers of the imperial French army to promote them into theLegion of Honour since 1862. TheMagister degree was the original graduate degree at German-speaking universities. In Germany the Diplom dates back to thepre-republican period: In October 1899 the engineering degreeDiplom was announced by asupreme decree of the German emperorWilhelm II in his function as the King ofPrussia on the advent of the Centenary of theTechnische Hochschule in Charlottenburg (nowTechnische Universität Berlin). The Diplom was subsequently adopted by theTechnische Hochschulen (Institutes of Technology) which had received university status following this Prussian decree.^[1] Later, all German universities adopted the Diplom as their degree in Science or Engineering.

In East Germany, the Diplom was the only first degree and was also granted in disciplines such as medicine or law, which atWest German universities were completed with aStaatsexamen. Nowadays such diplomas are still granted to students of such disciplines, although most universities only grant the diplom status (for example "Diplom-Jurist" in law) on request. Some universities also grant a master's degree (e.g. "Magister iuris") to such students on request.

With the implementation of theBologna process, awarding newDiplom andMagister degrees has become rare, since they are replaced by bachelor's or master's degrees. Already awarded degrees remain valid.

'Diplôme' is the French word for degree or diploma. The French engineering diploma is calledDiplôme d'Ingénieur (often abbreviated asDipl. Ing.). The French government also grants to all holders of a Diplôme d'Ingénieur the academic title ofIngénieur Diplômé, which is official and legally protected in France.

Before the introduction of the bachelor's and master's degrees in Germany, the standard Science, Engineering or Business degree was theDiplom and could be, in several variations, obtained at several types of institutes of higher education.

Obtained at a university, the degree was simply called aDiplom or rarely aDiplom (Univ.) and took usually between four and six years (240–360European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits), depending on subject and curriculum. When obtained at a so-called University of Applied Sciences (orFachhochschule), the diploma degree is called aDiplom (FH) and took mostly four years (240 ECTS credits).

TheDiplom was usually awarded in the natural sciences, business, theology and engineering, while students of humanities, arts and languages finished with aMagister. (The degree in social sciences differed from university to university.) All kinds ofDiplom degrees were usually first degrees. However, theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) was also the highest non-doctoral degree in science, business or engineering in Germany.

The duration of theDiplom degree programmes differed depending on subject and university. An official average duration (Regelstudienzeit) was set by law in eachGerman state, usually being four years for aDiplom (FH) and 4, 4.5 or 5 years for aDiplom / Diplom (Univ.). In exceptional cases, universities were allowed to set longer average durations for certain subjects (HGRP1995 § 26 (3),^[2] NHG2007 § 6 (3),^[3] HmbHG2001 §53 (3)^[4]). However, due to the curriculum set by most universities in Germany, the 4, 4.5 or 5 years for aDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) were often exceeded.^[5]Although being a first degree, because of its actual duration, theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) was and is in Germany not considered as an equivalent to a bachelor's but rather to a master's degree, as also expressed by the equivalent ECTS credits for theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.).

A holder of aDiplom obtained at a university is, depending on subject, for example referred to as "Diplom-Ingenieur" (Diplom-Engineer), "Diplom-Kaufmann" (Diplom-Merchant), "Diplom-Biologe" (Diplom-Biologist) and so on. In Bavaria, sometimes the postfix "(Univ.)" is added. If the Diplom has been obtained at a University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) the postfix "(FH)" has to be added (e.g.Diplom-Ingenieur (FH)). There are a few rare exceptions where the postfix need not be added, mostly due to older laws, small differences in the laws of theGerman states or transition rules. Transition rules, for example in engineering, orEuropean Union directives likeDirective 2005/36/EC^[6] grant certain limited groups with other kinds of related qualifications to also use the designationDiplom.

To obtain a Diplom at a university, students had to complete two separate periods of study. The first one was a two-year period of coursework in courses of mainly (but not only) introductory nature, theGrundstudium (meaningbasic studying period). After (and during) this period, in addition to exams for passing the modules, students attained a series of usually four intermediate exams to obtain theVordiplom (meaningpre-diploma).The second period, theHauptstudium (meaningmain period of study), consisted of two years of coursework in courses of advanced level, an additional period of several months in which a thesis had to be written and eventually a series of usually four^[7] final exams. It was not unusual for students to need more than two years for the coursework of theHauptstudium. An obtainedVordiplom and the completion of the coursework of theHauptstudium were the requirements to register for working on the thesis and for the final exams. However, access to courses of theHauptstudium was usually not restricted to students who had already obtained theVordiplom.
The extent of the final exams and the exams to obtain theVordiplom was set by each university individually in its regulations. Normally, the content of two different modules of the preceding period of coursework was examined in each of the examinations, which could be oral or less often in writing. Most students needed approximately six months to complete the final exam period.

The thesis which followed an independent (although supervised) research project had officially to be completed in not more than 3 to 9 months (depending on subject and university).^[7] However, the actual time students worked on these projects could again exceed the official duration by several months.

The curriculum for aDiplom (FH) degree, obtained at a University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) used to be more application-oriented, in comparison to what was expected for a Univ. Diplom degree. The programme was slightly shorter and often one semester was spent by the students doing aninternship. Those with some previousvocational qualification in a subject related to their studies were typically exempt from the requirement to do an internship. Typically, the studies in such a program were more organized and structured than the studies at a university, with a tighter schedule and a larger number of intermediate and final exams. Subjects were split into those regarded as basic studies and in-depth studies. Unlike the universities the period of basic studies (Grundstudium) wasn't completely separated from the period of in-depth studies (Fachstudium) by apre-diploma. Instead of a pre-diploma the passing of one or more intermediate exams in a subject qualified to move forward with that particular subject or start related in-depth subject studies. Passing one or more final exams in a subject completed a subject. Once almost all subjects were completed thesis work could start, but the missing final exams had to be passed latest with the completion of the thesis work. It was typical to perform thesis work in the industry, supervised by a professor from the university of applied science and a senior professional from the company where the work was performed. Although lab work was also permitted as thesis work. The written thesis work needed to be defended in an oral exam after which the diploma was granted.

TheDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) is usually a prerequisite for preparing a doctorate (Doktorarbeit). However, under certain conditions, holders of aDiplom (FH) are also eligible for doctoral studies. In German-speaking countries and in countries which Germany has bilateral agreements with—regarding the recognition of academic qualifications, theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) is usually accepted as admission into doctorate programs.

While theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) and theDiplom (FH) were the most common Diplom degrees in Germany, further Diploma did and do exist. Those are:

• Diplom (BA) – TheDiplom (BA) was not an academic degree, but instead a qualification designation which students received after completing a three-year programme at a so-called University ofCooperative Education (Berufsakademie). These colleges combined coursework with apprenticeships.
• Diplom (DH) – In the German state ofBaden-Württemberg, the Universities of Cooperative Education were transferred into theBaden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg) in 2009. Former students of a University of Cooperative Education can transfer their qualification designationDiplom (BA) into the academic degreeDiplom (DH)
• Diplom I andDiplom II – Some German universities (for example theUniversity of Kassel) used to offer these academic degrees, where theDiplom I was basically a minorDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) obtained after a shortened program of study, while theDiplom II was the equivalent to theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.).

In the German language the wordDiplom can also be used for certificates of any kind of achievement. It is usually apparent from the context if an academic degree is meant or not, especially when the word is combined with the academic profession.

Acceptance of theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) and theDiplom (FH) varies from country to country and from university to university. Usually holders of any of the degrees are considered for admission to postgraduate (not necessarily doctoral) studies. The acceptance or rejection of the diploma not only varies because of different academic standards, but also because of political, regulatory and administrative reasons.

• A bilateral agreement between Germany and France sets theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) as equivalent to the FrenchMaîtrise.^[8]
• In the Netherlands theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) is usually accepted as equivalent to the Dutchdoctorandus^[8] or the Dutch master's degree.^[9]
• In the United States, evaluations by U.S. universities vary. For example, for admission to graduate studies, theUniversity of Arizona,^[10] theUniversity of Central Florida^[11] and theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison^[12] require (at least) theVordiplom plus an additional year of study. TheOregon State University^[13] and theUniversity of Southern California^[14] consider holders of aDiplom (not differing between(FH) and(Univ.)) for admission to graduate studies. According toWorld Education Services, a GermanDiplom is equivalent to having earned both U.S. bachelor's and master's degrees.^[15]
• In Canada, theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) is at most universities the prerequisite to enter a Canadian Master's program,^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]} and corresponds generally to a Canadian 4-year Bachelor's/Bachelier degree and an honours bachelor's degree; in all cases to a universityBachelor with Honours degree.
• In Denmark theDiplom (FH) awarded after four years of tuition is considered as being equivalent to a Danish bachelor's degree, whereas theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) awarded after at least 4 ½ years of tuition merits aKandidatuddannelse.^[24] The German Diplom must not be confused with a DanishDiplomuddannelse which is equivalent to a bachelor's degree.^[25]
• In the United Kingdom theUniversity of Aberystwyth,^[26] theUniversity College London^[27][28] and theUniversity of Sheffield^[29] consider bothDiplom or a bachelor's degree as sufficient to enter a postgraduate programme. Also theUniversity of Edinburgh states that it considers both degrees as sufficient to enter postgraduate programmes.^[30]
• In the Republic of Ireland, theDiplom (FH) is recognized as being equivalent to a bachelor's honours degree, while aDiplom is considered equivalent to the Irish master's degree if its standard duration was at least 4.5 years.^[31][32]
• In Norway, the authority in charge for the recognition of foreign qualifications Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education, called the Diplom degree system as being both "complex" and "confusing".^[33] The Norwegian Statistical Office compares theDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) with the Norwegian master's degree.^[34]
• In Sweden, theSwedish National Agency for Higher Education considers a GermanDiplom as sufficient for the admission to a SwedishMaster's program.^[35] On theConceive-Design-Implement-Operate Conference in 2005 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Malmqvistet al.^[36] stated that, the SwedishCivilingenjör engineering degree programs "are 4½ year integrated engineering programs roughly equivalent to Master of Science orDiplom-Ingenieur degrees".^[37]

The variations in the acceptance of degrees was one reason the EU initiated and executed theBologna Process. Part of the Bologna Process shall ensure comparability between higher-education qualifications in the EU. As part of this process Germany has introduced Masters and bachelor's degrees and has largely phased out the awarding of new diploma degrees, a process not universally welcomed by the German academic and engineering communities.

The already awardedDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) and theDiplom (FH) degrees remain valid indefinitely and are not exchanged for master's or bachelor's degrees. Current German binding recommendations state that the newly German master's and bachelor's degrees come with the same eligibilities as the old degreesDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) andDiplom (FH), respectively.^[38] This is, for example, important for joining certain career paths in government administration, military, or regulated professions, where some kind of diploma was required. It also implies thatDiplom (FH) holders can join a master's degree program. It does not imply the degrees are the same, a fact stretched multiple times in the cited reference.

An actual comparison, in case it is needed, is done via ECTS points which are retroactively calculated/assigned to oldDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) andDiplom (FH) degrees, when needed. This calculation is done when a holder of aDiploma (FH) wants to join a Masters program and needs to know the number of additional ECTS point to study for to obtain a master's degree.

Since the old diploma study programs were all a bit different there is not a single ECTS value or comparison chart for all kinds of diplomas. Almost universally, however, when retroactively calculating ECTS points forDiplom / Diplom (Univ.) degrees they end up well into the ECTS point range for a master's degree. The situation is different forDiplom (FH) degrees. Those tend to end up at least at the Bachelor's ECTS point level or above, and below the ECTS point level for a master's degree. The ranking is roughly shown in the following table, from lowest to highest rank. Typical ECTS points are provided for a very rough comparison, individual points vary.

The following chart illustrates the durations required to obtain the old degrees (Diplom, Diplom (FH)) and the new European degrees (bachelor's and master's), using nominal example durations.

At the time of the Bologna process, schools in mostGerman states started changing from 13 school years to 12 years. (An exception are the states ofSaxony andThuringia, whereGymnasium has always lasted only 12 years ever since theGerman Reunification.) Most of the students going for aDiplom therefore spent 13 years in school before starting their university studies, while the younger Bachelor students nowadays may start one year earlier. (However, in some states, such asRhineland-Palatinate orSchleswig-Holstein, the first class which completes school after 12 years will graduate as late as 2016.) Regarding international comparison, one may argue that British, Irish and French high school students have school also in the afternoons which could compensate with the (former) additional year of school attendance in Germany.

Note: For the Diplom (FH) a student has to spend one to two obligatory semesters during his studies in a company. These semesters are included in the table. The study time is therefore one to two semesters shorter. Bachelor studies have them included in the table too. For the Diplom (Universität) those semesters are sometimes not included in the table.

Also note: In Germany, a Diplom (Universität) student can enter a doctoral program directly (if the student meets the admission requirements). A Diplom (FH) student has to have excellent grades to directly enter a doctorate program.^[40] With the Higher Education Act of the LandLower Saxony as of August 2010, outstanding Bachelor graduates can commence their doctorate at the universities of this German state.^[41] In addition, a few German graduate schools, such as the Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science or theBerlin Mathematical School also admit students with a bachelor's degree and excellent grades to their doctorate programmes.

The Austrian diploma curriculum is a first degree usually structured into 2–3 phases comprising a total of 240–360 ECTS credits (nominally 4–6 years). It typically ends with a final examination after submitting a "Diplomarbeit" (diploma thesis).^[42]

Depending on the subject, the degrees granted are either Magister/Magistra with a specific suffix (such as Magister philosophiae for philosophy), or Diplom-Ingenieur (in engineering). Notable exceptions are the diploma studies of dentistry and medicine, which result in the degree Doctor medicinae universae (Dr. med. univ.) or Doctor medicinae dentalis (Dr. med. dent.)

In most subjects, diplom programmes have already been phased out in favour of separate,Bologna-style Bachelor and Master programmes. However, the degree Diplom-Ingenieur is still used for Master's graduates in engineering.^[42]

In Switzerland, the Diplom (German) or Diplôme (French) was the typical first degree at the twofederal institutes of technology and at the Swiss universities of applied sciences. Since 2004, these Swiss degrees are no longer offered since they are replaced by Bologna style bachelor's and master's degrees.

In Finland, the olddiplomi-insinööri ("diploma engineer") title was completely replaced by Master of Science (Technology) in the Bologna process. All Finnish academic degrees are awarded both in Finnish and English and therefore the title is still awarded asdiplomi-insinööri withMaster of Science (Technology) as the official translation. Conversion was straightforward and academic credits were transformed linearly.

In Greece, ahigher education diploma (δίπλωμα/πτυχίο ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης) is a 4 to 5-year (8-10 semester) (240 ISCED 6 - 300 ECTS ISCED 7) degree, 5-year Diplomas formatted similarly to the German Diplom (Uni), awarded to students of the Greek Engineering Schools and Departments (called Polytechnic in Greece – not to be confused though with the polytechnics of the UK).

While every institution has its own individual approaches, the curriculum usually consists of general knowledge and essential background subjects in the first five semesters. After the end of the fifth semester, students select their academic area of interest and pursue a set of specialised courses for the next four semesters. The last semester is devoted to the preparation of a thesis on the student's chosen area of interest, which is presented before a three-member panel.

5 – year Diplomas are considered equivalent to integrated master's degrees.^[43] The holder of a diploma in engineering is permitted to sit in theTechnical Chamber of Greece exams without any prerequisite. It also allows the engineer to be considered for doctorate studies without taking any additional classes.

Since adoption of the 2001 Higher Education Reform Act (Ν. 2916/2001, Ν. 3549/2007, N. 4009/2011) theTechnological Educational Institutes (Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα – TEI) constitute a parallel part of public higher education in Greece. They conferhigher education diploma (δίπλωμα/πτυχίο ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης), a 4-year (8 semester)bachelor's degree formatted similarly to the German Diplom (FH) (240 ECTS – ISCED 6).

Grades range between 0 and 10, 5 being the passing mark. However, since grading practice differs amongst awarding institutions, a descriptive mark is used, which is more or less universal throughout Greece. For example, in the National Technical University of Athens, a grade in the diploma between 5 and 6.99 is "good" (καλώς), a grade between 7.00 and 8.99 is "very good" (λίαν καλώς) and a grade of 9.00 or more is "excellent" (άριστα).^[44] In the University of Patras^[45] the ranges are from 5 to 6.49 (good), from 6.5 to 8.49 (very good) and from 8.5 to 10 (excellent).

• Diploma
• DEA (former French degree)
• Specialist, an analogous degree in Russia andCIS (former USSR)
• German Academic Exchange Service

Look updiplom in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Academic degrees
• Higher education in Germany
• Education in Austria
• Education in Switzerland
• Education in Greece

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