Luxembourg

Luxembourg has been a Governmental Member of EQAR since February 2008.

Map: EHEA countries by governmental membership

General information on higher education

Higher education in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is primarily governed by two laws:

1. the amended Law of 27 June 2018 on the organsation of the University of Luxembourg (loi modifiée du 27 juin 2018 ayant pour objet l'organisation de l'Université du Luxembourg;

2. the Law of 21 July 2023 on the organisation of higher education (loi du 21 juillet 2023 ayant pour objet l'organisation de l'enseignement supérieur)

The University of Luxembourg was founded by law in 2003 and has ever since been the only public university in Luxembourg. The amended Law of 27 June 2018 has replaced the founding law of 12 August 2003.

The Law of 21 July 2023, which replaced the amended law of 19 June 2009 regarding the organisation of higher education, defines the scope of higher education in Luxembourg. It provides the legal basis for the development and accreditation of short cycle programmes (BTS) and also lays down the legislative framework for the accreditation of specialised higher education institutions in the Grand Duchy.

The higher education system in Luxembourg is aligned with the structure provided by the Bologna Process and comprises the short cycle (BTS), the first cycle (Bachelor), the second cycle (Master) and the third cycle (PhD and Specialised Studies Diploma in Medicine).

National external quality assurance requirements

Luxembourg does not have a national accreditation organisation. The Ministry of Research and Higher Education recourse to foreign agencies (mainly EQAR-registered agencies) and experts.

Accreditation Procedure for short cycle programmes
offered by secondary schools leading to the BTS, as well as for specialised higher education institutions and their study programmes leading to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. In order to obtain ministerial accredittation, short cycle programmes (BTS) as well as specialised higher education institutions and their programmes are evaluated by the Dutch-Flemish accreditation agency NVAO (Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie), which is EQAR-registered agency and holds a membership with ENQA
External evaluation of University of Luxembourg
The University of Luxembourg is evaluated every four years by a foreign agency commissioned by the Minister of Higher Education and Research. The Minister of Research and Higher Education commissions a foreign agency to perform an evaluation reviewing the institutions, its research as well as its learning and teaching activities, whereas the institutional level is an integral part of the evaluation, and the other areas are being review alternately. The Bachelor, Master and PhD programmes offered by the University of Luxembourg are automatically recognised (see amended Law of 27 June 2018).

EHEA key commitment

Fully aligned with the ESG

A fully functioning quality assurance system is in operation nationwide, in which all higher education institutions are subject to regular external quality assurance by an agency that has successfully demonstrated compliance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG) through registration on EQAR

Map: implementation of the EHEA key commitment

Cross-border quality assurance

Recognising EQAR-registered agencies as part of the national external QA requirements

For the external evaluation of private higher education institution the following requirements apply:

Eligibility requirements for foreign agencies: EQAR registration; the agency is selected by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
Conditions for the agencies’ work (e.g. criteria to be used): The agency has to follow the accreditation criteria set out in the legal framework of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Recognition of reviews carried out by foreign agencies: The final decision is taken by the Ministry based on the result of the expert's assessment.

Map: recognition of cross-border quality assurance

European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

European Approach available to some higher education institutions or only under specific conditions

The European Approach is available to the University of Luxembourg. Due to its “self-accrediting” status the University of Luxembourg can employ the European Approach for its programmes.
Other Luxembourg higher education institutions that require external programme accreditation cannot use the European Approach.

Map: availability of the European Approach for QA of Joint Programmes

Permalink

https://data.deqar.eu/country/101/

Further information

Fully aligned with the ESG

Recognising EQAR-registered agencies as part of the national external QA requirements

European Approach available to some higher education institutions or only under specific conditions

Registered agencies operating in Luxembourg

Governmental Membership in EQAR