Program Accreditation

The accreditation of new study programs, especially the new Bachelor and Master programs, was introduced in 1998 following resolutions by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and the Standing Conference of State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). In order to implement this new procedure, the Accreditation Council was founded, which, among other things, accredits accreditation agencies to execute program accreditation procedures and to award the quality seal of the Accreditation Council.

On February 4, 2000, ZEvA was the first agency to be authorized by the Accreditation Council for the accreditation of study programs. However, the agency has been conducting program accreditations since 1998. The purpose of program accreditation is to ensure the adherence of Bachelor, Master and further education programs to minimum academic content standards and to evaluate their educational function and implementability, especially with regard to the requirements of the employment market. Program accreditation serves to ensure the quality of Bachelor and Master programs and to make the extensive range of courses offered by higher education institutions more transparent. Also, it provides the basis for the national and international recognition of degrees.

In view of all this, ZEvA has developed program accreditation procedures based on legal requirements, the resolutions of the KMK and the HRK and the criteria of the Accreditation Council. These procedures are aligned with international standards and are continuously adapted to changing regulations and new insights gained through international dialogue.
ZEvA also offers the option of bundling several closely related study programs in the context of cluster accreditation. If all or most of the study programs offered by a higher education institution or a larger faculty are to be accredited, cluster accreditation is usually preceded by system assessment.

Currently, all Bachelor and Master programs run by state and state recognized universities and universities of applied sciences, as well as Bachelor programs offered by universities of cooperative education can be accredited with the quality seal of the Accreditation Council. ZEvA also accredits PhD programs, yet without awarding the quality seal. The Standing Accreditation Commission (SAK) of ZEvA makes the final accreditation decision. Among the commission’s members are renowned higher education teachers from universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany and abroad, as well as professionals and representatives of the student body. Also, the commission develops decision policies for related issues (and updates them if necessary). In this respect, the program accreditation department of ZEvA functions as the executive office of the SAK and is responsible for the organization of accreditation procedures. The project officers in charge coordinate the accreditation procedure, participate in the on-site visit and present the evaluation results to the SAK.

Do you want to file an application for accreditation? Please click here.