Double Degree vs Joint Degree in Europe: What's the Difference and Which to Choose

The core distinction in one line

Both a double degree and a joint degree come from a coordinated programme run by two or more partner universities, often in different countries. The difference is the credential at the end. A double (or dual) degree gives you two separate diplomas — one from each university. A joint degree gives you a single diploma awarded together by the partners.

Everything else — the shared curriculum, the mobility between campuses, the cooperation between partners — can look very similar. It is the certificate, and how it is recognised, that sets the two apart.

Double / dual degree: two diplomas

In a double degree, each participating institution issues its own diploma according to its own national education system. The curriculum is coordinated so that one period of study can count towards both qualifications, but you graduate holding two distinct certificates.

This model is common precisely because it sidesteps the legal question of whether a single shared diploma is permitted: each university simply awards its own, in the form its national law already recognises. For you, that can mean two clearly recognisable national qualifications to present in different countries.

• Two separate certificates, one per partner university.
• Each diploma follows its issuing country's national system.
• Often used where a single shared diploma is not legally provided for.

Joint degree: one shared diploma

A joint degree is a single qualification awarded jointly by two or more institutions. The diploma is issued collectively and typically carries the names, logos, and signatures of all the partners on one document.

Whether a joint degree can be issued depends on whether the partners' national regulations allow a single diploma from multiple institutions; this has historically varied across Europe. The Lisbon Recognition Convention and a later recommendation on joint degrees were created to support the cross-border recognition of exactly this kind of qualification. Confirm the recognition position for your target country on its official recognition body.

What it means for recognition

For recognition abroad, the practical question is how an authority or employer reads your credential. Two national diplomas (a double degree) are each recognised through the normal national channel. A single joint diploma is recognised as one qualification, supported by the Bologna framework and cross-border recognition instruments.

If recognition in a specific country matters to you — for further study, professional registration, or a public-sector role — check that country's recognition rules. In Europe, the ENIC-NARIC network is the official gateway for how foreign qualifications, including joint and double degrees, are assessed.

Which should you choose?

Neither format is universally better — the right choice depends on your goals, not prestige. Consider what each programme actually awards, where you intend to use the qualification, and whether a country you care about recognises a joint diploma smoothly or prefers a familiar national one.

In practice the credential type is fixed by the programme, so you are usually choosing a programme, not a format in the abstract. Read the official programme page for exactly which diploma(s) it issues, and verify recognition for your target country before deciding.

• Confirm the exact credential the programme awards (one diploma or two).
• Identify where you plan to use it — study, work, or professional registration.
• Check that country's recognition rules (via ENIC-NARIC for Europe).
• Treat both as legitimate; choose by fit, not by reputation alone.