Accreditation of degree courses in Germany

Accreditation of degree courses in Germany
(J. Dittrich, 12.6.2007)
Introduction
Germany does not have a long tradition in accreditation of degree programmes. In contrary,
there is a tradition of freedom of “academic teaching and research” at German universities.
Quality assurance of academic studies until recently was exclusively organised by the
respective academic communities. However, the implementation of study programmes was
and is subject to the approval of the ministries in charge of the respective federal state.
Things are changing since the European countries agreed in Bologna on creating a
European higher education area and on unifying academic degree structures. This process is
called the Bologna process.
As far as teacher education, including TVET teacher education, is concerned, there is an
established quality control scheme at the individual level of students, which is run by the
public authorities. These quality control schemes are similar for all professions that were
(and are still) considered essential for maintaining public order and the state. Such
procedures were introduced when the universities were given the freedom of academic
teaching and research centuries ago. All future civil servants (at a higher level, including
teaches, lawyers, physicians, etc.) have to pass so-called state exams.
While these state-run quality assurance measures continue to exist in Germany, the Bologna
process asks for the implementation of accreditation schemes.
Background
For accreditation procedures of academic study courses recent developments on the
European level have to be taken into account. This holds for all study courses that are part of
the so called European Higher Education Area, which was announced in the framework of
the Bologna Process. It has to be noted, however, that some German universities try to resist
the directive to introduce Bachelor and Master structure for their studies. In the field of
engineering studies for example some German universities still explore the possibility not to
introduce Bachelor/Master structures. However, it seems unlikely that they will succeed
because the regulation, that academic study programmes have to follow the Bachelor/Master
structures proceeds to enter in the higher education laws of the federal states.
For accreditation procedures for teachers, including TVET teachers, not only the general
accreditation scheme is relevant, but also regulations, that are issued by the German public
authorities.
Currently a European Qualification Framework (EQF) is under development with the aim to
make all qualifications acquired, including formally and informally acquired qualifications as
well as academic and non-academic qualifications transparent across boarders of the
European member countries to job-seekers and employers1
. This includes, that all European
countries are expected to set up national qualification frameworks. In Germany a working
group with participants from the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and
Cultural Affairs of the Länder (see below under German background) and the fedral ministry
of education was only set up recently in January 2007. Even though some preliminary work
had been done before it is still to early to discuss the concept in this paper.
European background
In order to support students’ mobility throughout Europe the Education Ministers of the
member states of the European Union agreed in 1999 to implement compatible academic
1
For more information see „The European Qualifications Framework: a new way to understand
qualifications across Europe“, the relevant website of the European Commission
(http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/eqf/index_en.html).

study structures (Bachelor and Master structures) throughout Europe. This agreement was
signed in Bologna, Italy, and that is why the respective development process is called the
Bologna Process2
. The implementation process, however, is not unproblematic because of
the principle of subsidiarity, which is also in force in certain European countries3
.
In order to facilitate mutual agreement of studies the European Credit Transfer and
Accumulation Scheme (ECTS) was introduced. This scheme is meant to establish
transparency on study courses for students as well as for universities. As such it does not
represent a strict quality control or development scheme but relies on the provision of
information so that all stakeholders are able to make their judgements.
The following is directly taken from the European Commission website4
:
ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workload of a full-time student
during one academic year. The student workload of a full-time study programme in
Europe amounts in most cases to around 1500-1800 hours per year and in those cases
one credit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours.
Credits in ECTS can only be obtained after successful completion of the work required
and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomes achieved. Learning outcomes are
sets of competences, expressing what the student will know, understand or be able to do
after completion of a process of learning, long or short.
Student workload in ECTS consists of the time required to complete all planned learning
activities such as attending lectures, seminars, independent and private study,
preparation of projects and examinations.
Credits are allocated to all educational components of a study programme (such as
modules, courses, placements, dissertation work, etc.) and reflect the quantity of work
each component requires to achieve its specific objectives or learning outcomes in
relation to the total quantity of work necessary to complete a full year of study
successfully.
The performance of the student is documented by a local/national grade. It is good
practice to add an ECTS grade, in particular in case of credit transfer. The ECTS grading
scale ranks the students on a statistical basis. Therefore, statistical data on student
performance is a prerequisite for applying the ECTS grading system. Grades are
assigned among students with a pass grade as follows:
o A best 10%
o B next 25%
o C next 30%
o D next 25%
o E next 10%
o A distinction is made between the grades FX and F that are used for
unsuccessful students. FX means: “fail- some more work required to pass”
and F means: “fail – considerable further work required”. The inclusion of
failure rates in the Transcript of Records is optional.
The key documents of ECTS are:
The regular Information Package/Course Catalogue of the institution to be published in
the local/national language and in English (or only in English for programmes taught in
English) on the Web and/or in hard copy in one or more booklets. The Information
Package/Course Catalogue must contain the items of the checklist including information
for host students from abroad.
2
The Bologna declaration can be downloaded from http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/Docs/00-
Main_doc/990719BOLOGNA_DECLARATION.PDF
3
For example in Germany the authority for decision on educational issues is not with the federal
government but with the German federal states (the “Länder”).
4
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.html

The Learning Agreement contains the list of courses to be taken with the ECTS credits
which will be awarded for each course. This list must be agreed by the student and the
responsible academic body of the institution concerned. In the case of credit transfer, the
Learning Agreement has to be agreed by the student and the two institutions concerned
before the student’s departure and updated immediately when changes occur.
The Transcript of Records documents the performance of a student by showing the list of
courses taken, the ECTS credits gained, local or national credits, if any, local grades and
possibly ECTS grades awarded. In the case of credit transfer, the Transcript of Records
has to be issued by the home institution for outgoing students before departure and by
the host institution for incoming students at the end of their period of study.
Furthermore a Diploma Supplement (DS) has to be issued after completion of a programme.
The Diploma Supplement is a document attached to a higher education diploma providing a
standardised description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that
were successfully completed by the graduate. The Diploma Supplement provides
transparency and facilitates academic and professional recognition of qualifications
(diplomas, degrees, certificates).
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European
Commission awards an ECTS label to institutions which correctly apply ECTS in all first and
second cycle degree programmes. The label aims to raise the profile of the institution as a
transparent and reliable partner in European and international co-operation. A DS label is for
institutions which issue the Diploma Supplement in a widely-spoken European language, free
of charge to all students upon graduation in all first and second cycle degree programmes (or
for all long one cycle degree programmes if this is the case in the institution).
These labels only are awarded to institutions that comply completely, that means for all their
programmes with the regulations and therefore are hard to obtain. The ECTS scheme
however also can be used without that official label.
From the description above it is obvious, that apart from transparency and the development
processes associated with restructuring the study programmes and drafting the required
documents there are no quality assurance aspects associated with the ECTS scheme.
Therefore in quite a number of European countries accreditation procedures were
implemented.
German background
Accreditation
In Germany the Akkreditierungsrat5
(Accreditation Council) was implemented in 1998, which
sets the cornerstones for accreditation procedures and accredits Accreditation Agencies that
run the accreditation processes. Currently there are 6 accreditation agencies in Germany.
The criteria for accreditation are derived from decisions of the Standing Conference of the
Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder6
in the Federal Republic of Germany
(Kultusministerkonferenz - KMK) as well as in cooperation with accreditation institutions of
other European countries.
Apart from this, all accreditation agencies use their own accreditation procedures which are
similar, but not identical.
5
not to be confused with the German Akkreditaion Council (Deutscher Akkreditierungsrat) which
mainly is in charge of quality assurance in industries.
6
Länder are the German federal states

State regulations
Germany is a federal republic with 16 federal states. The competence for decisions on
educational maters is with the state governments, not with the federal government. This
leads to the situation that in each state the ministry in charge7
must issue the relevant
regulations. Decisions and regulations common to all states are coordinated by the “Standing
Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs”, where the heads of the
ministries in charge of education meet on a regular schedule. However, they do not deal with
each relevant topic. Even if they come to agreements which are published as “Resolutions of
the KMK” (Beschlüsse der KMK), it cannot be taken for granted that each of the federal
states complies immediately and totally with these resolutions. These resolutions usually
have to be implemented in the laws of the federal states or via their ministries directives.
In some federal states TVET teachers are exclusively educated for work in one of the several
types of TVET schools. In other states teachers for TVET are considered to be teachers for
the secondary II level (Students from 16 to 18 years old). This implies that they have to be
able to teach their subjects also in schools for general education.
Even though TVET teachers are required to have completed an academic study as TVET
teacher, the situation with teachers who are in service is very diverse. Shortage in the supply
with educated TVET teachers at certain times, in certain subjects and in certain regions led
to the effect, that the authorities employed persons without appropriate pedagogical
education as TVET teachers. In addition, the recruitment policies of the various federal states
have been quite different.
Currently the regulation is that for employment in TVET schools teachers are required to
have an academic degree as TVET teacher at the Master’s level or equivalent. However
exemptions of one or the other kind are made in states and regions where there is a
shortage of applicants.
In general, academic education is subject to the freedom of academic teaching and research,
which was granted to German universities in the 19th
century and is still fixed in the current
German Basic Constitutional Law. This implies that universities, where TVET teacher
education takes place are free to determine the curricula. This freedom has its limits in the
fact that in the case of teacher education universities train students for a single employer,
namely the public administration. The relevant ministries at the federal state level set
requirements for study programmes that lead to the qualification of a TVET teacher. A study
programme as TVET teacher is completed by a so-called State Examination under the
control of the public body in charge (see below).
Accreditation procedure
It has to be emphasised, that accreditation of degree programmes is a comparably new issue
in Germany. The decision, that all Bachelor and Master degree programmes shall be
accredited, was taken by the KMK in December 1998. The Accreditation Council was
established in the course of the same decision, and the accreditation agencies were
established in the years 2000.to 2002. Only ZEvA exists since 1995 as an evaluation agency
for higher education institutions in Lower Saxony (a German federal state).
Criteria for accreditation
The Akkreditierungsrat has published “Criteria for the Accreditation of Degree Programmes”8
which the accreditation agencies have to follow when accrediting degree programmes. The
criteria relate to the following issues:
7
These ministries are also named differently, but usually are called something like ministry of
education, ministry of culture, education and sport, ministry for education and family, etc.
8
Accreditation Council (2006): Criteria for the Accreditation of Degree Programmes. Resolution of the
Accreditation Council adopted by written consent on 17 July 2006.
http://www.akkreditierungsrat.de/fileadmin/Seiteninhalte/Kriterien/Studiengaenge/Criteria_Programme
s.pdf

University Governance and Management
Educational Goals underlying the Degree Programme Concept
The Degree Programme's Conceptional Classification within the Academic System
Degree Programme Concept
Realisation of the Degree Programme
Examination System
Transparency and Documentation
Fulfilment of Conditions
Quality Assurance
The paper consists of only 3 pages and therefore is very general in nature. Therefore each of
the 6 accreditation agencies has elaborated the criteria on its own. Some of the agencies
specialise in a certain sector, others are acting across all sectors or in certain regions, which
is reflected in their names:
Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (ACQUIN)
Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Special Education, Care, Health
Sciences and Social Work (AHPGS)
Agency for Quality Assurance by Accreditation of Study Programmes (AQAS)
Accreditation Agency for Degree Programmes in Engineering, Informatics/Computer
Science, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (ASIIN)
Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA)
Central Evaluation- and Accreditation Agency Hannover (ZEvA)
Most of the accreditation agencies have developed tailored accreditation criteria for degree
programmes in certain subjects, in some cases in cooperation with other accreditation
agencies, sometimes also in cooperation with international institutions. Up to now there do
not exist specific criteria for the accreditation of degree programmes in TVET teacher
education, nor does one of the accreditation agencies specialise in the accreditation of these
degree programmes. The fact, that the Master programme for TVET teachers of the
University of Bremen was accredited by ACQUIN and the Bachelor programme by ASIIN
illustrates this issue.
Accreditation procedure
In the following, an accreditation procedure, as used by ASIIN9
is outlined. The procedures
used by other accreditation agencies are very similar.
1. Based on standard information on the degree programme (curriculum) the costs for
the accreditation procedure and the accreditation committee in charge (part of the
accreditation agency) are determined.
2. After agreement on the cost estimate, the agency assembles an audit team and the
university prepares a self-assessment report on the degree programme according to
a prescribed structure. The report is reviewed by the audit team. In addition the team
conducts an audit on the faculty concerned with the degree programme. The audit
report compiled by the audit team can be commented by the university,
3. The auditors provide the Accreditation Commission with a final evaluation and
recommended decision, and the relevant technical commission of the agency
provides its comments. Finally the agency’s Accreditation Commission makes a
decision regarding the accreditation. A final version of the accreditation report is sent
to the university and forwarded to the German Accreditation Council.
Possible results of the accreditation procedure are
9
The procedure together with the criteria used by ASIIN is available in English language in the „ASIIN
Requirements and Procedural Principles“,
http://www.asiin.de/english/download/ASIIN_Requirements_2007-03-23.pdf.

1. Unconditional accreditation for the full accreditation period of 5 years. After that
period a re-accreditation is required.
2. Conditional accreditation with the obligation for specific improvements and for a
reduced period of time. In this case the improvements/conditions have to be
realised/met by a set deadline.
3. Suspension of the procedure due to major deficiencies, which might however be in a
restricted period of time.
4. Unconditional refusal either because of withdrawal by the university or because of the
heaviness and nature of deficiencies.
State run quality assurance procedures
State examinations
The first stage of teacher education, which is conducted at a university as a degree course
ends with the so-called “first state examination”.
Up to now in most of the German federal states one representative of the public body in
charge – in most of the cases these institutions are named something like “state institute for
teacher education” – of the “second phase of study” (see below) participates in the oral
examination of the candidate. In addition a copy of the final theses is submitted to the above
mentioned institution, even though the mark for the theses is given by professors from the
university.
In connection with the development of accreditation, things are beginning to change. The
government institutions are starting to delegate the competence for teacher examination
entirely to universities. University examinations are being considered as equivalent to state
exams if the related degree programmes have an accreditation.
It is not clear, whether this enhances or whether this reduces the quality of teacher education.
Surveys on this subject – as far as the author of this paper knows – are not yet available.
However, the personal opinion of the author is, that the participation of persons external to
the university has just the effect to prevent possible fraud, but does not have an influence on
the on the qualification level of the students.
Second phase of study
For all professions that are deemed to be relevant for the organisation of the state, a state
organised internship (Referendariat) was established for university degree holders and future
higher level civil servants after the implementation of the academic freedom of teaching and
research at universities. Teachers, including TVET teachers have to pass this internship with
a duration of one to two years before being employed in the related job.
For teachers this is called the second phase of teacher education. This second phase is
organised by the state institutes mentioned above, and closes with a “second state
examination”. Neither in the in this second phase of study, nor in the related examinations
universities are involved. They are entirely run under the competence of the state institutes
fro teacher education and thus under the direction of the state ministries in charge.
Consequences, and summary
At the time being roughly half of the degree programmes in Germany (this is an estimate) are
accredited. and the number is rapidly increasing. Figures on the accreditation of TVET
teacher programmes would have to be generated with some effort, but most of them are
either accredited or in the accreditation procedure.
Because accreditation of degree programmes is still in the build-up phase, quality of
accreditation cannot be considered very high in the moment. Quality of TVET teacher
education programmes is still more dependant of the academic ethics of the responsible
scholars ate the different universities. The accreditation procedures as such, however,

contribute to quality development at the universities by means of elaborating the required
self-evaluation documents. But this is in a state of transition. Once all degree programmes
will been accredited and a steady state will be reached in terms of the numbers of
accreditations per year, accreditation and the related external evaluation will contribute to
quality development.
In Germany, standards for TVET teacher education do only exist very rudimentarily. In that
regard the outcomes of the TT-TVET project can be of great value for German TVET teacher
education.
References
The European Qualifications Framework: a new way to understand qualifications across
Europe. Official website of the European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/eqf/index_en.html
The Bologna declaration http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/Docs/00-
Main_doc/990719BOLOGNA_DECLARATION.PDF
ECTS - European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System . Official website of the
European Commission.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ects/index_en.html
Accreditation Council (2006): Criteria for the Accreditation of Degree Programmes.
Resolution of the Accreditation Council adopted by written consent on 17 July 2006.
http://www.akkreditierungsrat.de/fileadmin/Seiteninhalte/Kriterien/Studiengaenge/Criteria_Pr
ogrammes.pdf
ASIIN Requirements and Procedural Principles.
http://www.asiin.de/english/download/ASIIN_Requirements_2007-03-23.pdf

Accreditation of degree courses in Germany

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