Accreditations at Technische Hochschule Mannheim

The accreditation process for bachelor's and master's degree programmes is prescribed in the common constitutional requirements of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.

If a degree programme (bachelor’s or master’s) was successful in the accreditation process, it is awarded accreditation for a limited period, with or without conditions, and bears the seal of quality of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Degree Programmes in Germany for the period stated.

Our programmes are accredited and provide direct access to the higher civil service and/or doctoral studies (PhD).

German accreditation system

In Germany, the accreditation of higher education institutions and degree programmes is decentralised and carried out by accreditation agencies. These are, in turn, officially accredited by the Accreditation Council, the central decision-making body of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Degree Programmes in Germany. It defines the basic requirements of the process and ensures that all accreditation is carried out on the basis of reliable, transparent and internationally recognised criteria.

The legal framework of the accreditation system is determined by law and affirmed in the contracts between the foundation and the agencies. The latter commit themselves to adhering to the criteria and any further decisions of the Accreditation Council. Furthermore, they are expected to adhere to the common constitutional requirements of the Conference of German Ministers of Culture in their currently valid versions.

Accreditation of degree programmes

The accreditation process consists of several stages and is based on the peer review principle. For each degree programme to be accredited, the higher education institution submits a comprehensive report to the agency of their choice. The agency deploys an evaluation group including representatives of higher education institutions, i.e. professors and students, as well as members of the profession. The group's composition must be a reflection not just of the specialised content focus of the degree programme but also of its specific profile. As a rule, the evaluation process includes an on-site inspection of the institution by the evaluators. Based on the assessment report drawn up by the evaluation group and in accordance with the requirements provided by the Accreditation Council, the agency decides either to accredit the relevant degree programme, to grant an accreditation with conditions, to abandon the process or to reject the accreditation.

(Abridged version from theGerman Accreditation Council’s website)