The Diploma Supplement

The Diploma Supplement, which is prepared in the English language, is provided to all bachelor (first cycle) and postgraduate (second and third cycle) students of Trakya University automatically and free of charge upon their graduation.

Sample Diploma Supplement for First Cycle (Bachelor’s Degree)

Sample Diploma Supplement for Second Cycle (Master’s Degree)

 What is the Diploma Supplement?

 The Diploma Supplement (DS) is a document attached to a higher education diploma with the aim of  improving international transparency and facilitating the academic and professional recognition of qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates etc.). The DS is designed to provide information of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that were successfully completed by the individual named on the original diploma to which this supplement is appended. It does not involve any standards of judgements, equivalence and recognition statements. It is a flexible document which does not impose any rules, and aims to save time, money and effort. It is designed so that it can be adapted to local requirements.

The DS is issued by national institutions according to a common template developed as a result of the collaboration of the European Commission, Council of Europe, and UNESCO. This template, which was drafted and developed by a joint committee organized by the three institutions mentioned above, is issued in every official language of the European Union.

The Diploma Supplement consists of eight sections describing the items below:

1. Information identifying the holder of the qualification,

2. Information identifying the qualification

3. Information on the level of the qualification

4. Information on the contents and results gained

5. Information on the function of the qualification

6. Additional information

7. Certification of the Diploma Supplement

8. Information on the national higher education system

The Diploma Supplement is

• not a Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• not a substitute for the original qualification or a transcript.
• not a document which automatically guarantees academic or vocational recognition.

What does the Diploma Supplement offer for the students?

• A diploma that is more readable and easily comparable abroad;
• A precise description of their academic career and the competencies acquired during the study period;
• An objective assessment of their achievements and competencies;
• Easier access to opportunities of work or further studies abroad.

What does the Diploma Supplement offer for higher education institutions?

• It facilitates academic and professional recognition, thus increasing the transparency of qualifications;
• It protects national/institutional autonomy while offering a common frame which is accepted all over Europe;
• It promotes informed judgements about qualifications that can be understood in another educational context;
• It raises the visibility of the institution abroad;
• It promotes the employability of their graduates at a national and international level;
• It helps to save time by providing answers to a lot of recurrent questions put to administrative services in institutions about the content and portability of diplomas.

Why is the Diploma Supplement necessary?

New qualifications proliferate worldwide and countries are constantly changing their qualification systems and educational structures. With an increasing number of mobile citizens seeking fair recognition of their qualifications outside their home countries, the non-recognition and poor evaluation of qualifications is now a global problem. Since original credentials alone do not provide sufficient information, it is very difficult to gauge the level and function of a qualification without detailed explanations.

The Diploma Supplement is a response to these challenges.

• It promotes transparency in higher education.
• It accommodates rapid changes in qualifications.
• It supports mobility, and provides access to lifelong learning.
• It provides fair, reliable and informed judgments about one’s diploma and held qualifications.