Standards of Accreditation

Evidence that the conditions for accreditation and all basic criteria are fulfilled, should be submitted with every request for accreditation.

Conditions for accreditation

1. Legal Form and Location

The applicant Institution must be legal founded institution.

2. Study Offers

A schedule of study programs should be delivered alongside the application:

  • a University should offer accredited courses or programs for a minimum of at least four years in at least five different subject areas who have issued at least one graduate with an accredited doctorate in each of these programs.
  • a University College should offer accredited courses or programs in at least three different subject areas with at least an accredited study program in doctorate level in each of these subject areas.
  • a College should offer accredited courses or programs in at least one subject area for at least one cycle. 
  • these study programs should end with an academic degree, which meets international standards and is awarded for full-time studies,
  • these study programs should be offered in one or several scientific, academic or professional disciplines
  • or there should be studies that will be expanded after other academic studies have been completed (specializations).

 3. Comparability of Studies

If the applicant Higher Education Institution wishes to award the same academic degrees as other institutions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), then studies and  overall educational outcomes at the applicant institution should be comparable with those of similar institutions in the EHEA.

4. Teaching Staff

The qualifications of teaching staff in Higher Education Institutions must meet international scientific, artistic and professional standards. Legally binding contracts with these staff must be submitted with the application.  These contracts should demonstrate the staff’s suitability for the institution’s planned studies.

5. Facilities

The applicant institution should have at its disposal sufficient staff, space and equipment (e.g. computers, library, etc.) for effective studies. These should be provided in accord with the type of educational institution.

Evidence about teaching and support staff, space and equipment should accompany the application.

6. Principles

A Higher Education Institution should orientate its own activities in accordance with the following principles:

  • Freedom of science and teaching;
  • Freedom of artistic activities, of artistic expression and its teaching;
  • Linkages between research and teaching;
  • Diversity of artistic theories, methods and teaching ideas.

 7. Basic Criteria

Academic Freedom

Higher Education Institutions should be autonomous and should guarantee the academic freedom. Their statutes and organizational structures should provide freedom in research (both in respect of submitting questions, theories and methods and also in disseminating research outcomes and its assessment) and freedom of teaching (in respect of diversity of content, methods of course delivery and freedom to express scientific and artistic opinions).

Scope and Diversity

The institution should have a broad and diverse range of studies within one or more disciplines, which accord with the European concept for higher education. Disciplines can include traditional fields e.g. medicine, music, law or theology, and also other new combined courses with comparable breadth.

Research at the Institution

The research should be undertaken at the institution. This determines the presence of a critical mass to the institutionalized production of knowledge and its contribution to teaching.

Teaching Staff

The institution should have at its disposal sufficient academic, scientific and artistic staff.

Procedures for selecting the teaching staff

The institution’s procedure for selecting all its academic staff must be transparent, competitive and determined by quality.

Quality Assurance

Institutions must have in place internal policies and procedures for quality assurance of their study programs and awards.

Study plans

Study plans (detailed curricula) and examination regulations should meet all material, professional and formal requirements, and accord with international standards. Admission to studies must correspond with overall conditions for admission to higher education.

Facilities and equipment

Facilities and equipment must provide adequate tools for studies in accordance with international standards.

Financing

Support for the financing of the institution should be demonstrated through a detailed Business-Plan.

Development plan

The institution must demonstrate how it will fulfill all of the above requirements in a development plan covering a period of three years.