The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (the Agency), established in 1995, has the national responsibility for quality assurance of higher education through quality evaluation of first, second and third cycle study programmes. The Agency is also responsible for the appraisal of higher education institutions entitlement to award qualifications. This paper, will however, focus on the system for quality evaluations of first and second cycle programmes. A model, focusing on student attainment of the learning outcomes specified in the Higher Education Ordinance was introduced in 2011.
The question is: Can results of an academic study programme be measured? If yes: how can that be done? And last, but not least: is this European quality assurance of the 21st century?