Certifications - Legal Value
FLORENCE ACADEMY
Ours is a private organization that utilizes partnerships with certifying bodies and universities such as Pearson and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), which are recognized at European and international levels and are authorized to issue academic degrees and qualifications.
European Community Regulations
These academic qualifications are recognized and applicable throughout the European Community, thanks to recent and innovative regulations on the matter.
First and foremost, the Lisbon Convention must be mentioned, so named as it was signed in the capital of Portugal on April 11, 1997. This Convention was developed as a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and UNESCO-Europe Region, with the aim of facilitating the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications among the signatory countries.
Italy ratified the Lisbon Convention with Law no. 148 of July 11, 2002. As it must be applied to educational systems that are often very different from one another, the Convention limits itself to stating fundamental principles and general criteria, delegating the implementation of these guidelines to the competent authorities of each signatory country (for more details, visit the Certifications – Recognition Procedures section).
Among the objectives of the Lisbon Convention, the following aims deserve to be highlighted:
- To allow secondary school graduates to access universities and other higher education institutions in all countries;
- To facilitate academic student exchange programs;
- To use national final academic qualifications for access to the labor market and regulated professions in all countries or to pursue studies at a more advanced level;
- To develop national information centers on mobility and the recognition of qualifications and the dissemination of new certification tools.
BTEC Extended National Diploma in music or music technology
Going into further detail, the BTEC Extended National Diploma in Music or Music Technology is a final foreign secondary school qualification that allows access to degree courses (Italian or foreign) in related disciplines and to Conservatories, as it fully possesses the requirements demanded by current legislation:
- It is issued by an official certifying body of the English educational system;
- Facilitate academic student exchange programs;
- Use national final academic qualifications for access to the labor market and regulated professions in all countries or to pursue studies at a more advanced level;
- Develop national information centers on mobility and the recognition of qualifications and the dissemination of new certification tools.
These requirements apply to all students with a foreign secondary qualification, regardless of their nationality: both for secondary qualifications issued in European Union (EU) countries and in non-EU countries.
BTEC Higher National Diploma in music or music technology
A similar case can be made for the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Music or Music Production. This is also a foreign qualification that allows for the continuation of studies at universities (Italian or foreign) in related disciplines, or at the Conservatory.
Regarding participation in public competitions with our academic qualifications, please note that Public Competitions are reserved for Italian citizens or citizens of a European Union country. The specific rules for each competition are established by a Call for Applications.
Within this, you will find all information regarding the methods of participation and the conduct of the tests, as well as the academic qualification requirements necessary for entry into the specific competition. An Italian citizen or a citizen of a European Union country holding a foreign academic qualification of any level (secondary school, higher education) can participate in competitions for job positions within Italian Public Administrations through a recognition procedure provided by law, which is defined as the equivalence of the foreign qualification to the corresponding Italian qualifications.
Bachelor of Arts Level 6
Regarding the Bachelor of Arts Level 6, aimed at the awarding of the Bachelor of Arts in Modern Music in collaboration with the University of the West of Scotland, this qualification is issued by the university following our courses and corresponds to a 1st Cycle English academic qualification, also known as a Degree. This corresponds to Level 6 of the EQF, the level where the Italian 1st Level Academic Diploma and the Three-year Degree are also placed (as per the QTI, the framework for Italian higher education qualifications).
The Bachelor of Arts is not, however, an Italian academic qualification but an English one, comparable to Italian academic qualifications according to current regulations on the matter.
The study program we provide for obtaining the Bachelor of Arts, as well as the entire operation of the school, are constantly evaluated by the quality control commissions of the English University and by regular audits from the English higher education quality control agency, the “QAA – Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.”
It is important to clarify that in Italy, no foreign qualification is directly “equivalent” or “recognized” without a relative recognition procedure. In order for a foreign academic qualification to produce all the academic and professional effects in Italy that an Italian qualification produces, it is necessary to undertake a recognition procedure which, depending on the specific case, is distinguished as a “Declaration of Value” or “Equivalence.”