Accreditation

HSD is state-recognised, institutionally accredited and system-accredited. Institutional accreditation by the German Science Council has confirmed that HSD meets the standards of a higher education and research institution. Under the system accreditation granted by the Accreditation Council, all HSD degree programmes are accredited. They are regularly subject to internal quality control and accreditation via the university’s quality management system.

Accreditation procedures for degree programmes

Internal accreditation of existing and new degree programmes at the university is coordinated by the Quality Management department; decisions are taken by the University Senate, whilst the decision to launch a programme rests with the University President.

For new degree programmes, a concept accreditation process is envisaged, involving external written reports from representatives of the professional sector, academia and students respectively. The accreditation period covers the time from the start of the degree programme up to one year after the first graduation. Thereafter, an internal re-accreditation is required.
Existing degree programmes are internally re-accredited every 8 years. The procedure takes the form of an external assessment as part of an on-site visit. External expertise is incorporated through two representatives from academia, as well as one representative each from the professional sector, the student body and the programme’s graduates.

When accrediting significant changes to degree programmes, external expertise is sought, depending on the nature of the change, via an external written report from the academic community or the professional sector.

In the spring semester of 2019, the Senate passed its first resolutions as part of the system accreditation process.