Internationalisation has become a key goal of almost every higher education institution and policymaker in the world. The concept covers everything from traditional exchange programmes and mutual recognition of qualifications to branch campuses and Massive Open Online Courses. As part of that, transnational education (TNE) has developed to offer students ways to access higher education beyond the borders of their own countries of origin. One of the most rapidly growing phenomena of TNE is the dual degree, offered to students by two or more institutions in different countries.

This new Partnership Access report will look at the rise of the dual degree, some of the advantages to institutions and students, some of the pitfalls in establishing and operating such programmes, and the criticisms that have been levelled at them. It will also examine a case study of a new degree, spanning institutions in three continents.