14.2 Regulations on the amendment of the specimen decree

14.2.1: When will the changes to the MRVO amended in 2024 come into force?

In order to ensure a smooth transition, the Conference of Science Ministers has recommended that the amended state regulations enter into force at the same time on 01.08.2025.
The previous state regulations will be replaced by the amended versions on 01.08.2025, meaning that the Accreditation Council will make its first decision in accordance with the amended regulations at its September 2025 meeting. The Conference of Science Ministers has also recommended that those paragraphs containing amendments that require a longer preparation period should initially be excluded from application. These should only be applied to applications submitted by higher education institutions from 01.04.2026. This should make it easier for higher education institutions to adapt to the changes.

14.2.2: Which sections will continue to apply in their current form for the time being and what does this mean for higher education institutions?

In order to give higher education institutions sufficient time for implementation, not all changes will take effect immediately. The new version of the following regulations will only be applied to applications submitted to the Accreditation Council from 01.04.2026. The reason for this is that higher education institutions may have to provide additional documents or change processes in order to comply with the regulations.

• Obligation to publish the qualification goals and intended learning outcomes in accordance with § 11 para. 1 sentence 1 MRVO.
• Obligation to publish the course of study, course of study, examination requirements, module descriptions and admission requirements, including the regulations on compensation for disadvantages for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses in accordance with Section 12 (1) sentence 6 MRVO.
• Concept for the consideration of diversity in accordance with § 15 MRVO.
• § Section 17 (1), sentences 5, 6 and 7: Clarification of which rules of procedure (validity periods, deadlines and bundle sizes) apply to system-accredited higher education institutions.
• Approval requirement for bundles of more than four study programmes by the Accreditation Council in accordance with § 30 para. 2 MRVO.

14.2.3: The MRVO amended in 2024 no longer provides for the “one examination per module” rule. Instead, an examination concept is to be submitted that coherently justifies the appropriateness of the examination load. According to the transitional rules, in the event of deviations from the “one examination per module rule”, the Accreditation Council may require the presentation of the appropriateness of the workload as part of the examination concept as a condition if there is insufficient information. What does this mean?

It is important to the federal states that the higher education institutions can design the examinations as quickly as possible so that they accurately test the learning objectives. The transitional rule therefore allows higher education institutions to deviate from the “one examination per module” rule from 01.08.2025. This is already possible now, but only in exceptional cases. Therefore, if a higher education institution does not yet submit an examination concept or does not submit it sufficiently from 01.08.2025, the higher education institution could submit it later in the course of the fulfillment of conditions, so that the Accreditation Council can convince itself of the appropriateness of the examinations.

14.2.4: Which regulations are directly applicable from 01.08.2025? Can you give an example give an example?

Without a transitional period, for example, the applicability of the module is no longer required in the module descriptions. The Accreditation Council will therefore no longer require this information in its decisions from 01.08.2025. However, higher education institutions may of course continue to provide this information.

14.2.5: When do system-accredited higher education institutions have to apply the regulations of the amended state ordinances?

The amended state regulations must also be applied by system-accredited higher education institutions from the time they come into force. The system-accredited higher education institutions are obliged to independently implement the new regulations at program and system level in their QM systems.
As with programme accreditation procedures, the Accreditation Council will generally apply the amended state ordinances in its system accreditation decisions from 01.08.2025. However, the transitional provisions stipulate that the new provisions of § 17 para. 1 sentences 5 to 7 MRVO regarding the provisions of the higher education institutions on validity periods, deadlines and bundle sizes only apply to applications submitted from 01.04.2026. If possible, however, system-accredited higher education institutions should take the new requirements into account before then. They must also be implemented during the accreditation period if they have not yet been reviewed by the Accreditation Council during (re-)system accreditation.

14.2.6: When do the new grids apply?

The new grids (version 03 – 01.08.2025) are to be used for accreditation reports whose preparation begins on or after 01.08.2025. Requirements that do not come into force until 01.04.2026 due to transitional regulations do not have to be taken into account in the grids up to this date. It is not necessary to transfer accreditation reports that were started before 01.08.2025 to the new structure.

14.2.7: When can applications for bundle approval in accordance with § 30 para. 2 MRVO be submitted to the Accreditation Council?

The obligation to have bundles with more than four study programmes approved by the Accreditation Council as well as bundles with combined study programmes, regardless of the number of study programmes, before submitting the application, applies according to the transitional regulations for accreditation applications submitted from 01.04.2026. To ensure that the procedural requirements are met from 01.04.2026 when the application is submitted, bundles will be approved in accordance with the new regulations with immediate effect. Applications for optional bundle permits will be submitted via ELIAS as before. An optional bundle approval in accordance with the old version of the Regulation is only possible if the application for accreditation is to be submitted to the Accreditation Council before 01.04.2026.