Quality mark for Fulda University of Applied Sciences

Fulda University of Applied Sciences has reached a landmark achievement: it has now been granted system accreditation. This means that the university is authorised to independently assess the quality of its study programmes internally until 2034. The Accreditation Council has thus recognised Fulda University of Applied Sciences’ outstanding quality management – at the end of June, it was awarded the ‘System Accredited’ seal. As a result, Fulda University of Applied Sciences now ranks among the top 30 per cent of all higher education institutions in Germany, enabling it to respond much more quickly to current developments.

Several years of hard work have paid off: the procedure towards system accreditation was initiated as early as 2021 on the initiative of the then vice-president, Prof. Dr Kathrin Becker-Schwarze. During two on-site visits, external evaluators thoroughly reviewed Fulda University of Applied Sciences’ quality management system. The internal processes must ensure that Fulda University of Applied Sciences’ Bachelor’s degree and Master’s programmes meet the specified formal and academic quality requirements. “The award of system accreditation is a major success and a testament to the enormous commitment of all those involved over the past few years,” emphasises Prof. Jörg Kreiker, Vice-President for Learning and Teaching at Fulda University of Applied Sciences.

The external evaluators highlighted the constructive collaboration between the relevant areas and divisions as a particular strength of Fulda University of Applied Sciences’ quality management for Learning and Teaching. Several pilot degree programmes have already gone through the individual stages of the newly established quality cycle. The insights gained from these have already contributed, even during the process, to refining and optimising the procedure in a targeted manner before the system accreditation was finalised.

Greater autonomy and flexibility for innovative teaching
Thanks to the possibility of accrediting study programmes internally in future, Fulda University of Applied Sciences can respond much more quickly to academic and societal developments. This is demonstrated by the internal pilot accreditations carried out in recent years. The Presidential Board Office would like to thank all the professors, employees and students who have contributed significantly to this success through their active participation in committees and workshops. Special thanks go to the Accreditation Service Centre led by Marcus Fessler, which has been involved in the procedure from the very beginning.

Key figures according to the Accreditation Council foundation

• A total of more than 19,900 accredited study programmes in Germany
• A total of 439 higher education institutions with accredited study programmes
• Of these, 136 are accredited higher education institutions (with system accreditation)
• In Hesse, 8 out of 42 higher education institutions have system accreditation (including private institutions)
  (All figures as at early 2026)
   

Further information from the Accreditation Council foundation