Chapter 1 starts out with a short historical view on "academisation" and "professionalisation," illustrating how much professional higher education (PHE) in Europe has been in flux in the past years. With examples from France and Ireland, the chapter argues how a new spectrum of missions, differences in national organization of PHE and a variety of denominations for PHE providers and programmes has slowed down a shared understanding of what PHE commonly characterises. Chapter 2 gives information on research aims and methodology of the "HAPHE" (Harmonising Approaches to Professional Higher Education) initiative, which made this publication possible. Chapter 3 is a central part of this book. The authors suggest a validated definition for PHE and present a structured set of characteristics (framework) including quality criteria. The three framework dimensions: policy and strategy, teaching and learning, and research, development and innovation are accompanied by examples of PHE from several European countries. Those examples where gathered from programmes and institutions that have developed a clear professional profile in all or most of the framework criteria. Chapter 4 outlines differences in PHE systems in 15 EU member states for curricular requirements, PHE provision on EQF levels, the recognition of professional degrees, and, not less importantly, access to (research) funding. Chapter 5 builds on the outcomes of all previous chapters and formulates recommendations to European and national policy-makers, the providers of PHE policy, and individuals/organisations working on quality development. [Contributors to this work included: Michael Calleja, Johan Cloet, Ulf-Daniel Ehlers, Ole Faaborg, Justin Fenech, Nicole Graf, Marko Grdošic, Michal Karpíšek, Anne Kraav, Regitze Sparre Kristensen, Stéphane Lauwick, Žarko Nožica, Armando Pires, Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavcic, Christine Sholz, Monique Swennenhuis, Marc Vandewalle, and Iva Voldánová.]