Citing educational reforms being undertaken in the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and in other countries, this paper examines the purposes, distinguishing characteristics, and concerns of short-cycle higher education. First, introductory material offers an overview of postsecondary educational reforms of the past 2 decades, examines the structural place of short-cycle education, and defines short-cycle education as education placed between compulsory and university degree completion in which students engage in postsecondary terminal instruction, curricula leading to university diplomas, and/or continuing or recurrent non-degree classes and activities. The next section discusses the purposes of short-cycle education; i.e., to respond to increasing demands for postcompulsory education from a wide segment of society; to contribute to equalization of educational opportunities; to provide a diversity of studies, primarily in manpower areas; and to facilitate non-traditional practices. A list of the distinctive characteristics of short-cycle education follows, including low fees, accent on instruction, program relevancy, decentralized decision making, and facilitation of community education. Finally, contrasting directions taken by nations involved in structural educational changes are discussed in the areas of policy formation, implementation concerns (e.g., structure, organization, regulation, coordination, finances, and planning), and problems associated with quality. (LAL)