after getting their professional credential (cédula profesional). Degrees in engineering require four to five years to complete. After this, the graduate may enroll in a postgraduate program, such as a master's degree or in exceptional cases, directly into a doctoral degree. Europe (prior to the Bologna Process) Prior to the Bologna Process, In most countries of continental Europe, universities specializing in technical fields have traditionally awarded their students an engineer's degree after five years. This degree was typically the first university-awarded degree after finishing secondary education and completing it granted qualifications to further pursue a doctorate. Following German custom in higher education, the engineer's degree is called Diplom. In addition to Germany itself, this system was common in states like Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Belgium In Belgium, there are three types of engineering degrees: "Burgerlijk Ingenieur" / "Ingénieur civil" or "Master of Science in Engineering" (abbrev. "ir.") - 5 years study (3 BSc. + 2 MSc.), delivered by universities. "Bio-ingenieur" / "Bioingénieur" or "Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering" (abbrev. "ir.") - 5 years study (3 BSc. + 2 MSc.), delivered by universities. "Industrieel Ingenieur" / "Ingénieur industriel" or "Master of Science in Engineering Technology" (abbrev. "Ing.") - five years study in French Community of Belgium (3 BSc. + 2 MSc.) or four years of study in the Flemish Community of Belgium (3 BSc. + 1 MSc.), delivered by universities. Names are traditionally prefixed with the ir. and/or Ing. titles, although this practice is not as widespread as in the Netherlands. Use of these titles is regulated and protected by law. Belgium is noteworthy as having a system under which demands made on students of engineering are particularly severe, especially in the first one or two years of the BSc degree. Belarus and Ukraine In Belarus and Ukraine, the degree is спеціаліст інженер (specialist engineer), a first degree after five years of education. Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Ex-Yugoslavia In Croatia, the old system included the engineer's degrees diplomirani inženjer (abbr. dipl.ing.) which was awarded by university faculties and a lower ranked engineer's degree inženjer (abbr. ing.) which was awarded by polytechnics, in a similar vein to the situation in the Netherlands. The old dipl.ing. degree could later be upgraded to a magistar