Accreditation and reaccreditation at the University of Kassel

In accordance with the requirements of the Hessian Higher Education Act (Section 12 (2) HHG), the University of Kassel has regularly had its degree programs that conclude with a university examination accredited in program accreditation procedures before enrolling students. For the most part, the degree programs were bundled into subject-related clusters. In accordance with the legal requirements of the state, the study programs for the teaching profession at general education schools in Hesse continue to be exempt from this as single-phase state examination study programs. A second exception is the artistic degree courses at the School of Art and Design in Kassel, which correspond to the previous study model.

The experiences of the University of Kassel gained in the accreditation procedures are evaluated in more detail in the university's 9th Teaching and Study Report from 2016. In this report, the functionality and fundamental appropriateness of the program/cluster accreditation model was stated. Questions regarding the further development of the procedures at the University of Kassel, e.g. also with regard to considerations of entering system accreditation, were discussed in the University Senate and with the Deans of the Faculties in the winter semester 2013/14 in connection with the university development plan for the years 2015 to 2019. The committees concerned took note of the basic position of the university management and agreed to retain the basic model of program/cluster accreditation at the University of Kassel until further notice. In 2014, the University underwent a system evaluation with regard to central aspects, which will form the basis for the individual procedures.

The results of all accreditation procedures completed at the University of Kassel can be viewed in the Accreditation Council's database .

Accreditation: The application for a (cluster) procedure should be submitted to the Department of Student and Academic Affairs by the person responsible for the degree program approximately 1.5 years before the students are admitted to a degree program. For international degree programs, this lead time is usually two years, also in coordination with international development planning.

Reaccreditation: Reaccreditation should be registered with the Department of Student and Academic Affairs no later than 1.5 years before the accreditation period expires. The same guidelines and procedures apply for reaccreditation as for initial accreditation, with a particular focus on the evaluation of available data and experience in the implementation of the degree program.

The duration of accreditations is 8 years.

Accreditation procedures have so far been carried out at the University of Kassel by the agencies ZEvA, ASIIN, AHPGS and AQAS . The valid procedural regulations of the agencies can be found on the respective pages of the accreditation agencies.