Higher education institutions ready to digitalise the Diploma Supplement

Current issues Europass Digitalisation Education development Education

A European project supporting the digitalisation of the Diploma Supplement (ADDS UP) completed a survey on the current practices and future plans of higher education institutions in Europe. The survey received nearly 350 responses from higher education institutions around Europe. Below are the most relevant results regarding the digitalisation of the DS.

The Diploma Supplement is widely used

Among respondents the use of the Diploma Supplement was widespread:

78.31% confirmed that they are issuing Diploma Supplement
21.69% don’t issue the Diploma Supplement at all but would consider issuing it
84.16% indicated that they issue Diploma Supplement automatically and upon graduation as an additional document to the degree

The results of the survey also suggest that the Diploma Supplement is mainly issued in English. There were a few institutions that responded that they issue the document in both their national language as well as in English.

Readiness to issue a digital Diploma Supplement

Another important goal of the survey was to find out if institutions issue Diploma Supplements in a digital format and if not, if they are planning to do so. The survey found out that 32.02% issue the document in a digital format while 67.98% don’t. However, 28.46% are planning to issue the Diploma Supplement in a digital format, and 56.15% have indicated that they might do so.
Those who already issue the document digitally have indicated that they issue it in the following formats:

41.18% - PDF
32.35% - Secure PDF
16.18% - Online digital credentials platform
5.88% - Institution’s own student records system
4.41% - Some other system

Next steps

The next steps for the project will be to look more into the details of digitalisation in different higher education institutions. The project aims to organize peer learning opportunities, and a possibility to share experiences and knowledge between interested organisations.

Digitalisation of the DS in Finland

In Finland, the Diploma Supplement is obtained from the student register systems similar to the diploma. Digitalisation of diplomas and the Diploma Supplement is seen as an important next step; digitalisation means less bureaucracy, easier flow of data between different parties, and can lead to a more secure DS that is easier to use.

About the ADDS UP project

The Finnish National Agency for Education (the Finnish National Europass Centre) participates in an international project for the development and digitalisation of the (Europass) Diploma Supplement: Aiding Digital Diploma Supplement Usage and Promotion (ADDS UP). The project is coordinated by the UK NARIC and funded with Erasmus+. The other participants are: the National Commission for Further and Higher Education and the Irish Europass National Europass Centre (Quality and Qualifications Ireland).

For more information contact:
Susanna Kärki, europassi [at] oph.fi