Joint and Double Degree Programs in the Transatlantic Context: A Survey Report

This report examines the key findings of an extensive survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Freie Universität Berlinin in spring 2008. Based on responses from 180 higher education institutions in the United States and the European Union, the report assesses the current landscape of transatlantic degree programs and identifies inherent challenges and opportunities of expanding existing or developing new programs.

This survey report is included in the book Joint and Double Degree Programs: An Emerging Model for Transatlantic Exchange which features articles and insights from higher education administrators and practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic who are seeking to equip their students with the international experience, perspective and skills to succeed in today’s global economy. Articles are divided into six thematic sections that assess the development of collaborative degree programs from beginning to end.

The survey and book are part of a project sponsored by the “European Union-United States Atlantis Program,” jointly administered and funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture. The project was launched in cooperation with several leading U.S. and European institutions including IIE and the State University of New York in the U.S., and Freie Universität Berlin, the Franco-German University, and the Latvian Rectors’ Council in the EU.