In the course of the Bologna reforms to establish a common European higher education area and the resulting amendment of the German Framework Act on Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz), the requirements that apply to quality assurance measures in the fields of studying and teaching were given a legal basis. The responsibility for quality assurance rests with the higher education institution itself. The institution’s internal quality assurance system is regularly reviewed through an external accreditation process.

The system accreditation procedure examines the extent to which the processes and instruments of the university's own quality assurance system are suitable for ensuring the high quality of the courses on offer. Following successful accreditation, Freie Universität Berlin was the first university in Berlin to be awarded the quality seal of the Accreditation Council in September 2016. The obtained self-accreditation right allows Freie Universität Berlin to certify its degree programs as quality-assured after passing the internal quality assurance system.

For further information on system accreditation and the current status of the process for Freie Universität Berlin, please click here.