1. Academic profile and employment of Masters
Cro4Bologna
Workshop B
Academic profile and employment of Masters
Opatija, March 4-5, 2005

2. General
Workshop participants included members of academia, students and press
Issues discussed were
Inclusion of transferable skills in the curricula
Transfer Bachelor-Masters between different disciplines form the position of the student and the employer
Relation between old and new degrees
- Overload problems

3. Transferable skills
20 ECTS credits reserved for courses outside main field (example Mach. Eng. In Zagreb). This depends on other faculties within University to provide such courses. Possible problem is schedule collision.
Students ask for more specific determination of such courses: management, crisis management, writing, presentations skills. (Some of this is high-school related, too).

4. Transfer between studies
Possible and needed. Potential confusion for the employers (no clear degree) will not be a problem, since this possibility is actually being introduced following job market demands.
Management is a subject which combines well with all others.
Bachelor should give more generic skills and enable choice of different path for MA.
Employers are interested more in skills and less in particular knowledge (discussion!), so the transfer is possible if the skills are right.

5. Transfer …
But, knowledge stems from root, especially in natural sciences and engineering, so one has to be careful. Difference between fields should be considered.
Urban studies (Zagreb). Multidisciplinary program with three different components. First semester is reserved for making up missing component(s).

6. Transfer … employers
New combined competences may be difficult to understand. Diploma supplement will become important source of information for the employer.

7. Old – new degrees
New system encourages continuation Bachelor- Master more than before.
Old Masters degree is replaced by specialist master – this is even more in accordance to job market needs (shorter and more focused).
Possibility of part time doctoral studies – 6 years.

8. Overload
Situations: huge groups for lectures and exams (economy, tourism), honorary professors, chaos. Exams not taken seriously from professors.
Consequence: study looks meaningless.
Cause: too few teaching staff vs. to many students.