Diplom (from Greek Δίπλωμα diploma) is an academic degree in some European countries including Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Estonia, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus and Greece. It can be compared to Bachelor's and Master's degrees in other countries.
The german Magister was originally a graduate degree, in 1899 a second first degree, the Diplom, was introduced when the Technische Hochschulen received university status.
With the implementation of the Bologna process, the Diplom and Magister are increasingly being replaced by a system that awards Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Bachelor's degrees, rarely called Bakkalaureus, exist in Germany and are ranked as kind of "small Diplom". Master's degrees are awarded in most cases after five years of study. Master's degrees are rarely called Magister, like the former german graduate degree, but they differ in structure.
