01.8 By when must an application for system accreditation be submitted?

Different submission deadlines apply to the processing of applications for initial accreditation and reaccreditation.

Applications for first-time system accreditations are given priority, as the higher education institutions submitting the application are generally dependent on a quick resolution due to expiring accreditation deadlines at program level. For first-time accreditations, the accreditation period begins at a clearly defined point in time in accordance with § 26 para. 1 sentence 1 MRVO, namely retroactively from the beginning of the semester or trimester in which the Accreditation Council made the accreditation decision. A delayed decision could therefore result in accreditation gaps at program level.

In the case of reaccreditation procedures, however, it is sufficient to submit the application in good time before the expiry of the accreditation period in order to avoid gaps in accreditation, as the start of the new accreditation period is set retroactively in the event of a positive decision by the Accreditation Council (see FAQ 01.1.1 ).

Processing periods for initial system accreditation

A guideline value of 12 weeks applies to the processing of applications for initial accreditation . This means that an application must be submitted at least 12 weeks before the Accreditation Council meeting at which the application is to be decided. An overview of the meeting dates can be found here.

In particular, if a higher education institution urgently requires an accreditation decision at a certain point in time, it is recommended to contact the Accreditation Council at an early stage in order to be able to plan the scheduling of the procedure and the resolution in good time.

Please note that the duration of the procedure may be extended in the following cases:

• If the Accreditation Council receives incomplete documents and/or an application for accreditation that is not ready for a decision, it cannot guarantee that the application will be processed within the specified period of 12 weeks.
• Treatment of the accreditation application does not necessarily mean that the accreditation decision has been finalized. If the Accreditation Council intends to deviate from the proposed resolution in the accreditation report in accordance with § 22 para. 3 MRVO, the higher education institution is given the opportunity to make a new statement. If the higher education institution waives this opportunity, the resolution becomes effective; this is usually the case a few weeks after the AC meeting. If a statement is submitted, the final decision is usually made at the following regular supervisory board meeting. If initial accreditation is absolutely necessary for a specific semester, a longer lead time should be planned to be on the safe side.

Processing periods in system reaccreditation

In the case of accreditation procedures for the reaccreditation of a QM system, it is sufficient to submit the application in good time before the expiry of the accreditation period. In the event of a positive decision by the Accreditation Council, the start of the new accreditation period is set retroactively so that there is no gap in accreditation (see FAQ 01.1.1 ).

Applications for re-accreditation will be processed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to guarantee treatment in a specific session.

You can submit an application in ELIAS here.