07.5 Is the application of the European Approach pursuant to Sections 10, 16 and 33 MRVO mandatory for joint programmes?

The following applies to joint programmes involving only higher education institutions from the European Higher Education Area:
The application of the criteria specified in § 10 and § 16 (which correspond to the criteria of the European Approach) is mandatory. 

However, the implementation of accreditation procedures in accordance with the European Approach and Recognition by the AR is not mandatory in this case, but optional. This is clarified in the explanatory memorandum to § 33 MRVO. According to this, higher education institutions also have the option of carrying out a “normal” peer-review procedure and then submitting a normal application for accreditation to the Accreditation Council instead of carrying out a procedure in accordance with the European Approach, even in the case of joint programmes within the meaning of Sections 10 (1) and 16 (1). The difference to national accreditation procedures is then (only) that the criteria set of the European Approach is applied.  

A “normal” accreditation according to § 22 makes sense, for example, if the European Approach is not or not fully implemented in a partner country of the German higher education institution and therefore no accreditation procedures according to the European Approach can be carried out (for example, the joint self-evaluation of the higher education institutions is therefore not possible).

For joint programmes involving higher education institutions that do not belong to the European Higher Education Area, however, the following applies:

The European Approach only applies if the cooperation partners from outside the European Higher Education Area commit to accreditation using the criteria and rules of procedure of the European Approach. This can be assumed if accreditation procedures have been/will be carried out in accordance with the European Approach.