01.1 When do I have to submit the application for reaccreditation to the Accreditation Council so that there is no accreditation gap?

01.1.1 Program accreditation (reaccreditation)

If the administrative procedure is delayed despite timely application, this must not be to the detriment of the higher education institution or the students and graduates. The following therefore applies: If a reaccreditation application for program accreditation is submitted before the end of the previous accreditation period, the Accreditation Council will extend the accreditation period until the Accreditation Council makes a decision. The extension is “automatic”, so no separate application is required.

“Application” in program accreditation continues to mean (§ 23 MRVO) the submission of the application in the electronic system ELIAS, including the submission of the associated documents (accreditation report, self-evaluation report), which allow at least a summary review. Subsequent submission of the documents is not possible.

The validity period of the accreditation is not extended. Reaccreditation is therefore granted retroactively in the event of success.

The automatic extension is based on a combination of Section 26 (2) and (3) MRVO. Section 26 (2) MRVO provides for “uninterrupted follow-up accreditation” as a standard; Section 26 (3) sentence 3 MRVO indicates the intention that delays at this stage should not be to the detriment of the applicants.

If the application is submitted in ELIAS in good time, the higher education institution will receive notification of the deadline extension for accreditation for the duration of the administrative procedure at the Accreditation Council. If a previous accreditation of the study programme is missing in the accreditation database, this should first be updated so that the applicant higher education institution can receive the notification of deadline extension. Please contact the Foundation’s Head Office regarding the entry of missing accreditation information.

You can submit an application in ELIAS here.

01.1.2 System accreditation (reaccreditation)

To avoid an accreditation gap, it is sufficient to submit the application for renewed system accreditation by the expiry of the accreditation period. If the Accreditation Council only issues the system reaccreditation after the previous accreditation has expired, this is done retroactively in accordance with § 26 para. 2 MRVO, so that there is an uninterrupted follow-up accreditation.

The university continues to be listed as an accredited higher education institution in the Accreditation Council database. The database entry indicates that this is an ongoing procedure and that the existing accreditation will be extended until the Accreditation Council decides on reaccreditation. In addition, the higher education institution in question will receive a notification via ELIAS regarding the deadline extension for the duration of the administrative procedure at the Accreditation Council.

The internally accredited study programmes of a system-accredited higher education institution remain continuously accredited for the internally issued deadline. Until the Accreditation Council’s decision on reaccreditation, the higher education institution retains the right to continue to award internal accreditations and to award the Accreditation Council’s seal.

You can submit an application in ELIAS here.