ASIIN Requirements
In the following you will find a print of
the "ASIIN REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURAL PRINZIPLES FOR THE ACCREDITATION
OF BACHELOR`S AND MASTER`S STUDY PROGRAMS IN ENGINEERING AND
INFORMATICS"
1. Introduction
Bachelor’s and Master’s study programs are
introduced at German technical universities and universities of applied
science primarily with the following goals in mind:
- to create increased diversity, ensure high quality standards and
transparency of the study programs,
- promote the internationalization and international compatibility of
tertiary education in German universities,
- improve the global marketability of graduates of German
universities,
- enable more flexible adjustment of study programs to the
requirements of the global market,
- open up the possibilities for lifelong learning by offering advanced
training, and
- to make German universities more attractive to foreign students
Accreditation of these study programs is intended to ensure
that high quality standards are maintained at both types of
universities. Furthermore, accreditation is to guarantee that the
accredited study programs are constantly developed and improved. On the
one hand, the aim of accreditation is to guarantee high standards in the
courses, study programs and graduating degrees, so that students receive
the same education at all types of university. At the same time, the
special profiles of the individual technical universities and
universities of applied science are to be promoted. The accreditation
procedure is carried out by neutral and independent agencies, which have
themselves been accredited by the Accreditation Council, which was
established by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and
Cultural Affairs in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) on 3 December
1998. The Accreditation Council defines the minimum requirements of the
accreditation of the agencies and of the study programs.
2. ASIIN Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in
Engineering and Informatics
The Accreditation Agency for Study
Programs in Engineering and Informatics sets down the procedures and
criteria for the evaluation of study programs in engineering and
informatics according to the guidelines of the Accreditation Council.
The ASIIN makes sure that all of the procedural principles and standards
for accreditation are in accordance with relevant European directives.
The Accreditation Agency negotiates and cooperates with other
accreditation institutions on the collaboration and mutual recognition
of the accredited study programs. The Board nominates a neutral and
independent Accreditation Commission, whose members are comprised of
representatives from technical universities, universities of applied
science, industry, students and international
consultants.
This Accreditation Commission:
- sets down the minimum requirements and procedural principles for
accreditation,
- appoints Technical Committees for the
- development and revision of field-specific standards for
accreditation,
- the preparation of documentation and instructions for the Audit
Teams, and
- the training of the auditors,
- appoints auditors and assigns Audit Teams for the study programs to
be accredited, in particular based on the recommendations of the
Technical Committees, and
- accredits the study programs based on the accreditation reports and
recommendations of the Audit Teams.
At present there are
eight Technical Committees for the following specialist fields:
- Mechanical Engineering/Process Engineering
- Electrical Engineering/Information Technology
- Civil Engineering/Surveying
- Informatics
- Physical Technologies, Materials and Process Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Information Management
- Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences
3. Accreditation principles and
minimum requirements of the ASIIN
3.1
Basic principles
3.2
Object of accreditation
3.3
General requirements of study programs conferring Bachelor's and
Master's degrees
3.1 Basic principles
The accreditation procedure developed by the ASIIN is based on rules
set down by the framework act for higher education (HRG), the decisions
of the Association of Universities and other Higher Education
Institutions in Germany (HRK, 6 July 1998) and the Standing Conference
of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in the Federal
Republic of Germany (KMK, 5 March, 1999). The procedure of the ASIIN is
based on the strictest standards of objectivity, transparency and
validity. It not only takes into consideration the increasing
differentiation of the study programs on offer at technical universities
and universities of applied science, but also the quality standards
demanded by the increasingly intensive global competition in education.
The ASIIN sets down minimum requirements for the assessment of study
programs in engineering and informatics in the area of tertiary
education, which prepare qualified graduates for working successfully in
their chosen professions in these fields.
The procedure focuses on setting and monitoring minimum standards
that are based on the KMK recommendations, and whose further development
is based on the Accreditation Agency and recommendations from the German
Scientific Council and defined in the dialogue with national and
international scientific organizations, technical and trade associations
and experts from industry. The goal is to create as much diversity as
possible in the area of tertiary education in Germany, while at the same
time ensuring high levels of quality, transparency and comparability of
the service offers, as well as the processes, resources and equipment
necessary to achieve this.
The accreditation procedure of the ASIIN is oriented to international
standards and to the dictates of the Accreditation Council. It is
fundamentally adapted to every field of study, all types of university
and all German states.
Accreditation is implemented in keeping with internationally accepted
standards and for a limited period of time. When this time is up, the
university must apply for re-accreditation, which entails an evaluation
and a thorough check of the study program and its objectives, and how
they are being implemented. The re-accreditation process inquires into
whether the required educational and quality standards are being reached
and surveys the success rate in the job market of graduates of the
degree programs.
ASIIN Accreditation goals
The accreditation procedure of the ASIIN is part of a voluntary
accreditation system that:
-
ensures that graduates of accredited study programs receive
qualifications that enable them to be successful in their chosen
professions,
-
promotes the further development and ongoing improvement of
education,
-
accepts varying educational concepts, thereby allowing for a high
level of diversity,
-
supports constant innovation in education
-
forms the basis of ongoing quality improvement of education
-
ensures transparency of comparable study programs and
-
promotes national and international transparency.
The technical universities and universities of applied science
applying for accreditation are responsible for proving that their
courses of study fulfil the minimum standards set down by the ASIIN.
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3.2 Object of accreditation
Object of accreditation, at present, are study programs that are
either offered as consecutive study programs, which grant first a
Bachelor’s and then a Master's degree, or as individual study programs,
which grant either a Bachelor’s or a Master's degree. The decision of
whether a Bachelor’s and Master's study program should be given
authorization is subject to relevant state laws on higher
education.
The ASIIN:
-
accredits, in response to applications from (government) approved
universities, study programs conferring degrees that qualify graduates
to enter their chosen profession,
-
compiles and publishes a list of all accredited study programs
-
makes efforts to achieve worldwide recognition of the accredited
study programs, and
-
accredits study programs depending on the type of university,
according to either practice-oriented or more academic theory-oriented
criteria, regardless of the type of university.
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3.3 General requirements of study programs conferring
Bachelor's and Master's degrees
3.3.1
Demand
3.3.2
Profile of the study program
3.3.3
Educational aims
3.3.4
Admission requirements
3.3.5
Curriculum requirements
3.3.6
Scope of studies
3.3.7
Institutional and organizational environment
3.3.8
Quality assurance measures
3.3.1
Demand
There must be sufficient demand among the students for
the study program to be accredited, a medium- and long-term demand in
the job market as well as specific career opportunities for the
graduates. The associated process of internationalization is to be taken
into consideration here.
3.3.2 Profile of the study program
The
study program to be accredited is allocated to one of the following
defined profiles:
- More theory-oriented study programs
Theory-oriented study
programs must be based on academic principles and must be fundamental-
and methodology-oriented. The study program, based on a reasonably
comprehensive fundamental base of technical knowledge comprised of
carefully selected individual fields, should promote competence in
problem-solving in practical situations, make students capable of
conducting theory-based application-related research and give them
analytical, constructive and creative skills for creating and further
developing working methods and complex systems. Of vital importance is
the promotion of practical skills through contacts in the practical
environment.
A Bachelor’s degree program must offer a reasonably broad spectrum
of basic theoretical knowledge as well as specialist knowledge for
entering the profession. The graduates must be able to implement the
academic knowledge and problem-solving concepts in the relevant
application fields. The education should make it possible for the
students to continue their studies in a Master's degree program in the
same or a similar area of specialization, either at a German
university or comparable international institutes of higher education.
The students must a lso be capable of continuing their education
independently.
A Master's degree program as a continuation of studies from the
first (Bachelor’s) degree qualifying graduates to enter the
profession, and in some cases parallel to professional experience must
provide students with further and more intensive specialist knowledge
and areas of specialization in the same field of study or further
expansion of existing qualifications in a related field of study. The
concrete curriculum of the study program should be coordinated to the
specific strengths of the university offering the program. Students
interested in r esearch and those who are well-suited to this type of
work should be given the opportunity to develop their
theoretical-analytical skills and be systematically prepared for later
work in research-related jobs; for this the promotion of
interdisciplinary research and development competence is also a
prerequisite for this.
In accordance with the decision of the KMK (Standing Conference of
the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in the Federal
Republic of Germany) of 05.03.1999, the degrees of these more
theory-based study programs are generally to be called "Bachelor of
Science" and "Master of Science". Any variations to this rule are
subject to the decision of the individual Technical Committees.
- More application-oriented study programs
Application-oriented
study programs must not only be based on academic principles but also
be oriented to practical application. Study programs based on a
reasonably comprehensive fundamental base of technical knowledge
comprised of carefully selected individual fields and a comprehensive
knowledge of methodology should promote analytical, constructive and
creative skills for problem-solving in practical situations, while
making students capable of creating and further developing methods and
complex systems. Of vital importance is the promotion of practical
skills through contacts in a practical environment.
The more application-oriented Bachelor’s degree program must have
approximately the same number of study semesters as the more
theory-oriented Bachelor’s degree program, but with more emphasis on
practical application and methodology. The graduates must be able to
implement the academic knowledge and problem-solving concepts in the
relevant application fields. The education should make it possible for
the students to continue their studies in a Master's degree program in
the same or similar area of specialization. The students must also be
capable of continuing their education independently.
The Master's degree program, which aims primarily at more
application-oriented professions as the continuation of the basic
degree qualifying graduates to enter the profession, and in some cases
parallel to professional experience must provide students with further
and more intensive specialist knowledge and methodology, teach them
highly specialized application skills and knowledge and/or the complex
thinking and interdisciplinary skills necessary to train as
generalists through the acquisition of complexity competence and
skills in interdisciplinary projects. According to its own curricular
priorities, the university can individually tailor how intensive the
course of studies is to be and exactly how much emphasis is to be
placed on practical experience.
In accordance with the decision of the KMK (Standing Conference of
the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in the Federal
Republic of Germany) of 05.03.1999, the degrees of these more
theory-based study programs are generally to be called "Bachelor of
Science" and "Master of Science". Any variations to this rule are
subject to the decision of the individual Technical
Committees.
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3.3.3 Educational aims
Study courses in
the framework of the study program to be accredited should not only
serve the purpose of passing on knowledge, but also of teaching
competence and skills, the prerequisites for being successful in the
chosen profession and for lifelong learning.
The study program to be accredited should, by teaching students
fundamental, specialist and interdisciplinary knowledge and skills,
serve to pass on the following areas of competence:
Appropriate teaching and learning methods are needed to
specifically promote key qualifications such as learning competence,
social responsibility and communication skills, as well as consideration
of the ethical and legal aspects of implementing technology and a view
of the specialist field in the international context must be
specifically promoted.
For this the following information is
necessary:
-
description of the profile of the study program to be accredited in
accordance with the profile criteria in Section 3.3.2.,
-
description of the goals of the individual modules (seminar blocks,
practical placement, project work etc.) and their contribution to
reaching the overall educational goal, and
-
proof of the study program’s alignment to the profession and its
graduates’ potential for successfully entering their chosen
professions.
3.3.4 Admission requirements
The
admission requirements are formulated and admission is decided upon by
the university, and must ensure that the students selected possess the
necessary knowledge and skills. Admission requirements can include:
general/subject-specific requirements for university level entry/
professional training; work experience; foreign language skills;
assessment of suitability.
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3.3.5 Curriculum
requirements
The following curriculum requirements are demanded
of all study programs to be accredited:
-
The study program must fulfil academic, fundamental and
application-oriented requirements.
-
The courses, research and development and practical phases must be
well coordinated.
-
The study program must promote the international exchange of
students.
-
A credit point system must be used.
Furthermore the following criteria must be fulfilled:
-
Mandatory courses must be offered every year.
-
Mandatory seminars must be supplemented by a reasonable number of
exercises, seminars, labs etc.
-
For every mandatory field of study a choice of subjects must be
offered.
-
There must a sufficient number of opportunities for exercises in
small groups and also for contacts with the practical environment.
-
A sufficient scope for working independently must be possible for
the students,
-
Adjustment and bridge courses for students from other study
programs and foreign students must be offered when necessary.
-
Foreign-language seminars must be offered.
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3.3.6 Scope of studies
Bachelor’s
degree program
The regular study period for the undergraduate study
program granting a Bachelor’s degree should be at least three and at the
most four years.
In keeping with the targeted profile, the
internal structure of the study program for engineering sciences is
divided up as follows:
-
basics of mathematics and natural sciences making up approximately
20% of the overall study program
-
technical basics making up approximately 25% of the overall study
program
-
specialized studies making up approximately 15% of the overall
study program
-
interdisciplinary subjects including basics in business
administration making up approximately 10% of the overall study
program
-
project/dissertation with at least 3 months’ time allotted
-
industrial placement for at least 3 months.
The precise criteria is subject to the decision of the individual
Technical Committees.
Master's degree program
The more
advanced Master's degree should encompass a study period of at least one
and at the most two years in addition to the basic Bachelor’s degree
program. As a further consolidation of the basic Bachelor’s program, all
students should acquire intensive academic and methodology competence
and an area of specialized studies for their chosen profession. The
overall curriculum is divided in keeping with the targeted profile for
technical basics, an advanced subject-specific area of specialization
and the necessary interdisciplinary subjects. Therefore the degree is
completed with a project/dissertation for which 3 months are
allocated.
Consecutive Bachelor’s and Master's degree
programs
For consecutive study programs the regular study period
should be at the most five years.
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3.3.7 Institutional and
organizational environment
The academic teaching staff must
meet standards that are in keeping with the study program to be
accredited. Specifically there must be:
-
sufficient teaching staff to implement the mandatory course offer
and maintain minimum teaching standards for the number of students
enrolled in the study program,
-
teachers with adequate academic and international qualifications,
as well as suitable practical and didactic experience and advanced
training, substantiated, for example, through:
-
supervised and implemented research projects,
-
third-party resources acquired,
-
number of publications,
-
number of doctorates,
-
experience in the field,
-
participation in national and international professional and
scientific organizations,
-
technology and knowledge transfer
-
organization and management of practical projects,
-
a sufficient number of posts for the academic middle tier and for
academic tutors and student teaching assistants, and
-
the economic prerequisites (current budget), i.e. human resources,
equipment and financial means, for implementing the study program to
be accredited.
All non-academic personnel should also have appropriate
qualifications.
Adequate facilities must be present, in keeping with
the following criteria:
-
permanently allocated rooms and facilities (lecture halls,
seminar rooms, labs), and
-
a reasonable, guaranteed basic supply of equipment (basic
equipment, specialized laboratory equipment, teaching aids, EDP,
library), and
Appropriate academic and vocational counselling should also be
provided for the students.
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3.3.8 Quality assurance
measures
The quality of the study programs must be ensured
through the following measures:
-
documentation of the education process,
-
supervision of the implementation of the study program,
-
evaluations carried out during the course of the study program,
-
continual evaluation of the success rate of the graduates of the
study program (e.g. student surveys) and
-
establishment of a set procedure for the further development of the
study program.
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