If you have looked at studying in Malta, you have probably run into the letters "MQF" and a number next to them - MQF Level 4, Level 5, Level 6 - with almost no explanation of what any of it means. It trips up a lot of the students we work with, so here is the short version, without the jargon.
MQF stands for the Malta Qualifications Framework. It is simply a ladder. Every accredited qualification in Malta - a certificate, a diploma, a degree - is placed on a rung from 1 to 8, so you can see at a glance how advanced it is and how it compares to qualifications elsewhere in Europe.
Here is the ladder in the terms that matter to an international applicant:
| MQF level | What it is |
|---|---|
| MQF 1-3 | School-level qualifications (roughly up to secondary / O-level equivalent). |
| MQF 4 | Advanced / A-level-equivalent and foundation qualifications - a common entry point. |
| MQF 5 | Undergraduate certificates, higher diplomas and foundation degrees. |
| MQF 6 | Bachelor's degrees. |
| MQF 7 | Master's degrees (including the MBA). |
| MQF 8 | Doctorates. |
So when a course says "MQF Level 5 Diploma," it is a solid post-secondary qualification that can feed into a bachelor's; "MQF Level 6" is a full bachelor's degree, and so on.
Nearly. The MQF is referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), level for level. An MQF 6 in Malta lines up with EQF 6 in Germany, Ireland or the Netherlands. That referencing is the reason a Maltese qualification travels well across the EU - it is not a standalone Maltese scale, it is plugged into the European one.
"The first thing I tell a family is: don't just look at the course name, look at the MQF level. That one number tells you whether a qualification will be taken seriously for the next step - a job, a visa, or a master's - anywhere in Europe. It removes the guesswork."
— Tejas Raju, Director, Global Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Primegate Consultancy
Two courses can share a similar name and sit at very different levels. Checking the MQF level tells you three things quickly: whether it meets the entry requirement for the programme you actually want next, whether an employer or licensing body will recognise it, and whether the credits will carry if you decide to continue your studies. It is the single most useful thing to verify before you enrol.
IDEA College in Malta, for example, offers accredited qualifications across MQF Levels 4 to 8 - from foundation certificate through to doctorate - all aligned to the EQF. You can see the full list on our higher education institutions page.
The Malta Qualifications Framework: an 8-level ladder that classifies every accredited qualification in Malta by how advanced it is.
They are referenced to each other level for level, so an MQF level maps directly to the equivalent EQF level across the EU.
MQF Level 6. A master's is Level 7 and a doctorate is Level 8.
It tells you whether a qualification meets entry requirements, will be recognised by employers and licensing bodies, and whether credits will carry into further study.
Primegate Consultancy (PGC) helps students, families and partners choose the right programme and institution, then guides the application end to end.
