8540 Tertiary education

This class includes the furnishing of tertiary academic, professional and vocational courses and the granting of degrees at short-cycle, bachelor’s or equivalent level, master’s or equivalent level, and doctoral level.

This class includes education in public and private universities provided at the level of:

• short-cycle studies, usually based on practical learning appropriate to the performance of a given profession and preparing students for entry into the labour market or other higher education programmes
• first-cycle studies open to applicants with a secondary school leaving certificate and leading to a first-degree qualification
• second-cycle studies open to applicants holding at least a first-cycle qualification and leading to a second-cycle qualification
• comprehensive master’s degree courses open to applicants holding a secondary school leaving certificate and leading to a second-cycle qualification
• postgraduate studies open to applicants who have completed at least first-cycle studies and leading to a postgraduate qualification
• third-cycle studies (training for doctoral students) open to applicants holding at least second-cycle studies and leading to a third-cycle qualification

Education may be conducted as full-time or part-time studies.

This class also includes:

• short-cycle vocational education and training programmes at ISCED-P 2011 level 5
• higher vocational and professional education and training programmes at ISCED-P 2011 level 6 and ISCED-P 2011 level 7 (for example, those leading to master craftsmen qualifications)
• education activities of performing arts schools providing tertiary education
• adult or continuing education programmes equivalent in complexity of content to the education given in education activities already classified at this level

This class excludes:

• non-formal education and training, see 855