On May 27, 2025, the eighth edition of the “Accreditation Council in Dialogue” format took place, which was dedicated to the “Topic of the day: Special challenges in the accreditation of music, art and design study programs”.
The diversity and often artistic, project-based orientation of the programs and the handling of sometimes very small student numbers pose particular challenges in the accreditation of these study programmes. Higher education institutions (in the arts) are often faced with the difficulty of defining qualitative standards that take into account the creative and flexible nature of their courses without undermining academic integrity and Law requirements. The question also arises as to how practice-oriented and often interdisciplinary study programmes, some of which are also realized in close cooperation with external partners or institutions, can be properly and professionally evaluated and classified. In addition, the specific requirements for examination and performance certificates, which are often structured differently in the artistic and design fields than in conventional study programmes, must also be taken into account. About us 150 participants discussed these issues with the panel members
Program:
10:30 a.m.: Welcome and introduction
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Bargstädt, Chairman of the Accreditation Council
10:35 a.m.: Short presentations
- Dr. Barbara Jesse – University Development and Quality Development Office, Folkwang University of the Arts Essen
- Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schäfertöns – Professor of Music Theory, Berlin University of the Arts
- Valérie Morelle – Deputy Managing Director and Head of Program Accreditation and Certification National, ACQUIN e.V., Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute
- Jana Ringholz – Consultant in the Program Accreditation Department at the Head Office of the Accreditation Council
11:00 a.m.: Panel discussion
- Prof. Dr. Martin Ullrich, member of the Accreditation Council and Professor of Interdisciplinary Music Research with a focus on Human-Animal Studies, Nuremberg University of Music
- Prof. Dr. em. Rolf Sachsse, deputy member of the Accreditation Council and most recently Professor of Design History and Design Theory, Saar University of Fine Arts
- Sina-Mareen Retolaza, Course Development Officer, Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts
- Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Achim Hack, Area of Appointment: Interior Architecture, Furniture and Interior Design, Design and Construction, Wismar University of Applied Sciences
- Caroline Nölle, student in the Master’s program “Design Studies” (M.A.), Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle
- Valérie Morelle, Head of Program Accreditation and Deputy Managing Director ACQUIN e.V.
- Dr. Alexander Weber, Head of the Program Accreditation Department at the Head Office of the Accreditation Council
11:55 a.m.: Closing remarks
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Bargstädt, Chairman of the Accreditation Council
Moderation
The event was moderated by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Bargstädt in his function as senior professor at the Bauhaus Management Institute of the Bauhaus University Weimar.