The European Commission expects FORTHEM -and other European Universities to create new innovative and high quality degree programmes that are based on our pooled expertise and have embedded student mobility periods. As a response to this, FORTHEM plans to set up several new joint or multiple degrees by 2025.

The degree of complexity between different forms of jointly implemented degree programmes varies a lot: creating a totally new joint degree programme ‘from scratch’ takes at least a couple years’ time and requires more commitment, trust and ability to make compromises than twinning existing Master’s or PhD programmes to form a new double degree programme. But setting up new double or multiple degree programmes is feasible, particularly when two or several existing degree programmes are linked together to form a joint programme leading to either a joint or a double degree.

In order to facilitate our compromise within the Alliance, it was created a working group (WG), the Joint and Multiple Degree Programme with the aim of identifying barriers and create the tools for facilitating this compromise. This Joint & multiple degree programme coordinators working group (JMDP-WG) has collected the following information from the nine FORTHEM universities:

• Existing joint & multiple degree programmes within FORTHEM.
• National and institutional regulations for joint and multiple degrees.
• General requirements and structure of Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degree programmes.
• Possible obstacles for awarding joint degrees or double degrees and for concluding cotutelle agreements for PhD students.
• Examples of processes for setting up new JMDPs.
• FORTHEM agreement template for double degree programmes.

The collected documentation has been elaborated and compiled with the aim of serving both as an encouragement and source of useful information for all FORTHEM academics who are interested in this form of European cooperation. And it is at your disposal upon request by writing an e-mail to forthem@uv.es  Furthermore, JMDP group is ready to give tailored guidance and support for new JMDP-initiatives