Quality Assurance & Accreditation
Since its foundation, Mediterranean College’s primary concern has been to secure high quality of studies, exceptional teaching and a nurturing student environment. The College has managed to ensure its high standards, by adopting international benchmarks and practices followed by major educational institutions of higher learning.
Specifically, Mediterranean College submits to quality controls from four different parties:
- the Greek Ministry of Education
- the British Accreditation Council (BAC)
- the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
- the Collaborating Universities (franchise agreements)
Greek Ministry of Education
Mediterranean College is an institution accredited by the Greek Ministry of Education, according to the Law 4093/2012, and holds a license to operate in Athens and Thessaloniki [License Number: 120863/2-9-13 (Government’s Gazette 2278/B/12-9-13)].
British Accreditation Council for Further and Higher Education (BAC)
The British Accreditation Council (BAC) – member of ENQA (European Association of Quality Assurance in Higher Education) – is an independent body within the U.K. which was formed in 1984 by the British Council, the QAA, the Council of Validating Universities (CVU) and the British Universities’ Council of Vice-Chancellors. For over 30 years the BAC has been responsible for setting standards within the independent further and higher education sector. Its accreditation is held by leading colleges and training providers in the UK and overseas and provides the leading mark of educational quality, used by students, parents, agencies and beyond as a guarantee of standards.
Since 2000, Mediterranean College has been successfully reviewed and accredited by the BAC as an “institution providing higher education”.
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)
Universities and colleges delivering higher education within the UK are responsible for maintaining the academic standards of their awards. The QAA is responsible for auditing the management of academic standards and quality assurance by universities and colleges within the UK on a regular basis, to ensure that the institutions are maintaining standards. Mediterranean College, as a collaborative partner of some UK universities, has been visited by the QAA, as part of a series of audits of UK universities delivering courses internationally in collaboration with local education providers. The latest audit of such provision in Greece was undertaken in 2015, the outcome of which was an excellent report for Mediterranean College and its UK partner, the University of Derby, commenting on the outstanding performance of the two institutions on quality assurance. You can download the full 2015 QAA report here.
Collaborating Universities (Franchise Agreements)
Mediterranean College was the first college in Greece to introduce the concept of franchise agreements, in collaboration with reputable UK universities (1992). Taken as a given today by Greece and other E.U. member-states, franchise agreements in comparison to other forms of academic collaborations, such as validation agreements or articulation agreements, are far more credible both in terms of quality assurance and academic status.
More specifically, franchised programmes of study, delivered by Mediterranean College in Greece, are identical to the programmes delivered by the collaborating universities on their own campuses in the UK. The universities maintain the responsibility for and complete control of the content of each programme, the methods of teaching and assessment and the quality assurance mechanisms. The degrees awarded by the collaborating universities to Mediterranean College graduates under such agreements, are recognised in Greece, in the E.U. and the wider international academic community.
Degree Recognition
Recognition by the Greek State
Degrees, awarded by overseas Universities to students that have completed their studies in an accredited Greek College, are recognised by the Greek State through the competent Board of the Ministry of Education (“SAEP” – Council for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications).
This Council is responsible to map the degrees awarded by overseas universities with those awarded by home universities in Greece and verify whether they are equivalent in terms of the professional rights that are granted to their graduates.
As result of these regulations, Mediterranean College graduates are able to assert positions of Higher Education graduates in the public and private sector, claim promotions or salary rises, participate in programmes of “OAED” (Greek Manpower Employment Organisation) or other organisations and generally enjoy all employment rights of Greek State university graduates.
The Colleges degree recognition by the Greek State is enforced by the Ministerial Decree 38/2010 that has been amended with Laws 4093/2012 and 4111/2013.
International Recognition by the UK NARIC
All Mediterranean College graduates have their degree recognised by the UK NARIC (National Recognition and Information Centre). NARIC assesses and certifies that the UK University qualifications (undergraduate and postgraduate), obtained through studying at Mediterranean College in Greece, are academically and professionally equivalent to those awarded to students that have studied in a University in the UK.
