OsEAN recognizes the existing standard that is proposed by the WHO Guidelines on basic training and safety in Osteopathy. This document presents just a minimum standard, however.
OsEAN pursues a standard of excellence as it is adequate for Osteopathy as a high quality, primary contact profession. The OsEAN schools strive for an academic cooperation with Universities to assure the highest possible quality in Osteopathic Education. The level of a Masters degree is regarded as the academic equivalent of this pursued level of excellence.

In defining educational programs it is preferable to focus on outcomes, as encouraged by the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area, however it is also useful to indicate what might be a suitable duration for an osteopaths’ program:

A. Full time training

This type of training is offered for people with no prior medical training. Entrance criteria will typically be A-level (UK), Bac Science (FR), Abitur (DE) or equivalent.
Typically five years of full time studies (an equivalent of 300 ECTS points) should lead to a  Masters degree in osteopathy.

B. Conversion courses for people from other health professions

As an alternative to full time training, conversion courses for people from other health professions can be offered, typically for physicians or physiotherapists. Based on their prior medical training, students of these conversion courses should reach the same level of excellence and the same academic degree as graduates from full time courses. 
Five years is regarded as a suitable minimum duration for this type of program.

The model above represents OsEAN’s vision for the future of Osteopathic Education in Europe, recognizing that the member schools do not fulfill the criteria yet at the present moment.