This essay examines the impact of the Bologna Process on the development of short-cycle higher education in Europe, noting that the integration of short-cycle qualifications within the Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area, combined with the critical place allotted to those programs in national lifelong learning frameworks, has charged short-cycle programs and qualifications with a dual responsibility: to train graduates for employment as well as prepare them for future studies. The challenges faced by European countries in creating programs and qualifications that meet this dual responsibility are discussed.
