Licence-master-doctorate reform and professionalization in Algeria: between global ambitions and local features a literature review

Purpose This paper synthesises evidence on how Algeria's LMD reform has pursued professionalisation, and what happens when a global reform agenda is translated into a massified, resource-constrained, centrally governed system. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (2004–2023) was conducted following PRISMA and a VALOR-informed verification procedure, combining 26 Algeria-focused studies with 11 non-Algerian LMD/Bologna studies for contextualisation and organising the synthesis through a macro-meso-micro framework. Findings Professionalisation is repeatedly stated in policy discourse, only partially stabilised institutionally and unevenly realised in pedagogical practices and graduate trajectories. It operates less as a coherent educational project than as a circulating reform category whose meaning and responsibilities shift across levels, often devolving expectations to institutions, staff and students. Research limitations/implications This review is limited by the size and heterogeneity of the available evidence, as relatively few studies analyse the concrete effects of the LMD reform on professionalization. Practical implications Professionalisation gains traction when supported by durable institutional mechanisms (partnership/placement infrastructures, workload recognition and minimum standards for internships) rather than relying on ad hoc arrangements and individual coping strategies. Originality/value This paper offers one of the few structured synthesis of professionalisation under Algeria's LMD reform, showing how it functions as an unstable reform category across system levels and mapping key blind spots to guide future research on reform travel beyond Europe.