Our activities are monitored by professional quality management systems:

• System Accreditation
• Internal Accreditation
• EAEVE Peer-Review Process

Alongside central tools such as agreements on goals, central reporting, and conceptual, legal, capacity-related, and structural reviews of academic programs, the Department of Veterinary Medicine makes regular use of the following additional quality assurance tools:

• Evaluations
  
• Integration of external expertise
• Process descriptions
  
• Quality reports on studying and teaching
• Commissions/Task Forces and Working Groups
  

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 process looks at the extent to which the processes and tools involved in the institution’s internal quality assurance system are suitable for ensuring that the degree programs offered are of high quality. Freie Universität Berlin was admitted to the system accreditation process in 2011. After successful accreditation, the higher education institution is granted a self-accreditation right, so it can certify its own degree programs as being quality assured.

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

In the internal accreditation process, the university management of Freie Universität Berlin uses the following criteria to review whether a Bachelor or Master degree program has undergone the stipulated quality assurance procedures according to the rules:

• Conceptual Assessment
• Legal Assessment
• Capacity Assessment
• Integration of external expertise
• Decentralised evaluations
• Centralised evaluations
• Quality reports on studying and teaching

If so, the program is accredited by the Executive Board of Freie Universität Berlin in accordance with the right of self-accreditation.

University-accredited degree programs at the Department of Veterinary Medicine:

• Bachelor Equine Sciences (BSc; Certificate of the German Accreditation Council)
• Master Small Animal Science (MSc, postgraduate; Certificate of the German Accreditation Council)
• Master Equine Medicine (MSc, postgraduate; Certificate of the German Accreditation Council)

The Europe-wide requirements that apply to education in veterinary medicine are based on EU Directive 2005/36/EC. They form the basis for mutual recognition of qualifications and the free practice of the profession within the Member States of the European Union.

The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) regularly evaluates veterinary education institutions in Europe on behalf of the European Union (see Council Decision 78/1028/EEC) with the goal of ensuring a comparably high standard of training in veterinary medicine throughout Europe. A positive EAEVE evaluation affirms that the institution meets the EU requirements for veterinary education and training and leads to the qualifications granted being recognized Europe-wide, so those who hold them can practice the profession freely within the European Union.

The Department of Veterinary Medicine at Freie Universität Berlin received positive evaluations in 1998, 2007 and 2018, making it one of the education institutions recognized by the EAEVE.