Legal Basis

Interstate study accreditation treaty

The “State Treaty on the Organization of a Joint Accreditation System for Quality Assurance in Studies and Teaching at German Higher Education Institutions (Interstate Study Accreditation Treaty)“, together with the “Law on the German Accreditation Council (Accreditation Act)”, forms the legal framework of the accreditation system. It was signed by all 16 Minister Presidents and came into force on January 1, 2018. The interstate study accreditation treaty defines the objectives of accreditation as well as the tasks, responsibilities and powers of the central actors in a binding manner. It also specifies the criteria for accreditation and regulates the cornerstones of the accreditation procedure.

Accreditation Council Act

The “Law on the German Accreditation Council (Accreditation Council Law)” contains regulations on the tasks, responsibilities and powers of the central actors, which essentially correspond to those in the interstate study accreditation treaty.

Specimen decree (MRVO) and state ordinances

The specimen decree (MRVO) contains the accreditation criteria and rules of procedure.

Only the state ordinances on accreditation issued in all federal states on the basis of the RMVO are legally binding. These largely correspond to the MRVO. This means that the standards for the formal and academic criteria as well as the accreditation procedures for external quality assurance are almost identical in the Federal States.

Resolutions of the Accreditation Council can be found here.