Diploma Supplement 
The Diploma Supplement (DS) is an international document provided with a diploma to give a detailed description of the qualifications attained by a candidate. It does not replace the diploma, but supplements it.

The DS follows a standard outline structure and is divided into 8 sections. Section 8, which describes the country’s system of higher education, is a standard text included in all Diploma Supplements issued in the country concerned. A link to the description of the Norwegian higher education system (section 8) is provided in the right-hand margin. 

Historical background
On the initiative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES, a working group was appointed in 1996 to develop a Diploma Supplement. The result of the group’s work was submitted in 1998. A report on pilot projects was submitted together with a model for the DS and explanatory notes.

In 1999 the UNESCO/Council of Europe’s Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region (the Lisbon Recognition Convention) came into force. The Lisbon Recognition Convention describes the DS in a separate article in section 9.

Objects
The DS is a joint international supplement to a higher education diploma and is intended to provide sufficient independent information on higher educational qualifications. It aims to:

•	ensure fair academic and professional recognition of qualifications across national borders (i.e. “international transparency”)
•	strengthen the mobility across national borders for students and for those who have completed their studies

 




Implementation in Norway
As of 2002, Norway introduced statutory automatic issuance of diploma supplements to all students upon their graduation (Section 3-11 (1) of the Act relating to universities and university colleges). The DS is already an integral component of the electronic student registration systems at Norwegian higher education institutions, FS and MSTAS (to student registration and administrative systems in Norway).