Accreditation & Quality
Accredited by FIBAA and the German Council of Science and Humanities
The FHDW in North Rhine-Westphalia, with campuses in Bergisch Gladbach, Bielefeld, Marburg, Mettmann and Paderborn, is one of the oldest and most renowned state-recognized universities in Germany. We have been certified in many external reports as meeting high quality standards. In the German higher education system, a distinction is made between program and system accreditation. Private universities are also institutionally accredited by the German Council of Science and Humanities.
State-recognized by the NRW Ministry of Science
The FHDW is state-recognized by the NRW Ministry of Science. State recognition means that the degrees and credit points for examinations obtained at the FHDW are equivalent to those obtained at state universities under the ECTS system and are recognized worldwide. For example, you can apply for an advanced Master’s degree course with a Bachelor’s degree completed at the FHDW or have your previous achievements recognized, e.g. if you change your place of residence.
Institutional accreditation by the German Council of Science and Humanities
The Science Council is the most important science policy advisory body in Germany and already confirmed in 2008 that the FHDW, as a private university, provides teaching and research in accordance with recognized scientific standards and has the necessary material, personnel and financial resources. In 2019, the FHDW was reaccredited for a further five years. At the time, the Science Council imposed two conditions, which had to be fulfilled within three years. In 2022, the Accreditation Committee of the German Council of Science and Humanities confirmed the fulfillment of the requirements and extended the accreditation period by a further five to ten years. This confirms once again that the university fulfills the high quality requirements to be able to teach and conduct research permanently and without further institutional accreditation.
Statement of the German Council of Science and Humanities on the reaccreditation of the FHDW.
System accredited by the FIBAA
In system accreditation, the quality assurance system of a university is examined to determine whether the university can guarantee the quality of its degree programs.
The Accreditation Council Foundation is a joint institution of the federal states for quality assurance in teaching and learning at German universities.
It commissions accreditation agencies for this task. At the FHDW, the accreditation agency FIBAA has reviewed the quality assurance system in accordance with the guidelines of the Accreditation Council. For example, teaching evaluation, the examination system and the management of lecturers were scrutinized. In December 2018, the FHDW successfully completed system accreditation.
Program accredited by the FHDW
In a program accreditation, an accreditation agency reviews individual study programs at a university. Thanks to the successful system accreditation, the FHDW no longer relies on an accreditation agency, but does it itself. To this end, the FHDW has set up its own Evaluation Commission for Study Programs (EVAS). Their independent and internationally recognized experts certify that the FHDW degree programmes have a clear job market-related profile on a scientific basis, comply with international standards and that the lecturers have the necessary professional and methodological-didactic standards.
Accreditation report
Bachelor's degree
Master
Quality management strategy
The degree courses at the FHDW are characterized by a high degree of practical relevance, intensive supervision, high quality standards and good chances of success for graduates. The high quality of the degree programs is one of the strategic goals of the FHDW. Its quality management strategy is characterized by evaluations and feedback, development-oriented discourse with all of the university’s interest groups and projects to improve quality and safeguard the future. These characteristics stand for the quality culture of the FHDW. The annual quality report essentially presents the QM system as well as the results of evaluations and the measures derived from them:
Opinions that really count!
We are really good at what we do!
Not only we say this, but also our students. On Studycheck, our rating puts us high up on the list of universities of applied sciences in Germany.
See for yourself and read independent reviews about the FHDW.