Accreditation and recognition
Real degrees. This is why.
EIM (European Institute of Management) awards the qualifications of all SIDF degree programmes. The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) licenses EIM as a Higher Education Institution, Licence No. 2022-004. This page explains what this means, and how you can verify it.
The official statement
The MFHEA is licensing EIM – European Institute of Management (Licence Number: 2022-004) as a Higher Education Institution. EIM is licensed to provide higher education programmes exclusively through digital channels.Why these are real academic degrees
A national licence, not a private label
The MFHEA is the national authority of Malta, an EU member state. It licenses further and higher education institutions and accredits their programmes. The Higher Education Institution licence permits EIM to offer accredited higher education programmes. These programmes lead to qualifications on the Malta Qualifications Framework.
Digital delivery is the licensed mode
The licence permits EIM to provide its programmes exclusively through digital channels. This defines how EIM delivers the programmes. It does not lower the academic standard. Learning outcomes, credits, assessments and quality assurance are the same as for campus programmes at the same level.
Part of the European Higher Education Area
Malta is a member of the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process). Its qualifications follow the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate structure. They use ECTS credits and come with a Diploma Supplement. These tools make degrees comparable across 49 countries.
Levels referenced to the EQF
The Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF) is referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Postgraduate Certificates and Master’s degrees are at Level 7. Doctorates are at Level 8. These are the same levels as the related awards of any European university.
ECTS credits and Diploma Supplement
Each award has ECTS credits: 30 for a PGCert, 90 for an MBA or MSc, and 180 for a PhD. Each award comes with a transcript and a Europass Diploma Supplement. These documents describe the qualification in a standard, international format.
External quality assurance
Licensed institutions in Malta are subject to internal and external quality assurance. The standard is the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG 2015). This includes periodic audits by the MFHEA.
Degree or certificate? The difference at a glance
| Non-accredited professional certificate | SIDF programme (awarded by EIM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Awarding body | Private provider | Licensed Higher Education Institution (MFHEA Licence No. 2022-004) |
| Qualification level | Not positioned on a national framework | MQF/EQF Level 7 (PGCert, MBA, MSc) or Level 8 (PhD) |
| Credits | None, or provider-specific points | ECTS credits (30 / 90 / 180) |
| Documents | Certificate of completion | Degree certificate, transcript and Europass Diploma Supplement |
| Next steps | Usually none | PGCert credits count towards a Master’s degree. Master’s graduates can apply for a PhD |
| Quality assurance | Internal, if any | Internal and external QA under ESG 2015; MFHEA oversight |
Recognition in Switzerland and abroad
In the European Higher Education Area, the Lisbon Recognition Convention is the basis for the recognition of qualifications. The national ENIC-NARIC centres assess qualifications. In Switzerland, swissuniversities is responsible for academic recognition. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) is responsible for regulated professions. Other countries have their own recognition procedures.
The competent authority of each country decides on recognition for a specific purpose. Examples are admission to a further programme, use of a title, or access to a regulated profession. SIDF and EIM give graduates all documents for these procedures, including transcripts and the Diploma Supplement.
Who does what
EIM (European Institute of Management)
Licensed Higher Education Institution and owner of the accredited programmes. EIM is responsible for admission decisions, examinations, quality assurance and the conferral of degrees.
Swiss Institute for Digital Finance
Specialised academic partner. SIDF designs and delivers the digital finance programmes in cooperation with EIM. SIDF provides teaching, tutorials, supervision and the SIDF community.
MFHEA
National authority of Malta. The MFHEA licenses EIM and accredits its programmes. It performs the external quality assurance.
Verify it yourself
You can verify the accreditation. Use the primary sources:
Frequently asked questions
Is a degree with digital delivery worth less than a campus degree?
No. The learning outcomes, the credits and the quality assurance define the level of a qualification. The delivery channel does not. The EIM licence explicitly covers delivery through digital channels.
Can I continue to a doctorate at another university with an SIDF Master’s degree?
SIDF Master’s degrees are Level 7 qualifications with 90 ECTS. The receiving university decides on admission to a doctorate. It assesses the degree in the same way as any other foreign qualification.
Can I use the title?
Graduates can use the title as EIM confers it. The rules for foreign academic titles differ from country to country. In most cases, you can use the title in the awarded form, with a reference to the awarding institution.
Where can I check the licence?
On the website of the MFHEA and in the legal notice of EIM. The legal notice states the licence number 2022-004. The links are above.
Ready for the next step in digital finance?
Apply for a Postgraduate Certificate, a Master’s programme or the PhD. Or talk to us first.