In order to achieve accreditation, courses are examined to ensure they comply with framework requirements and minimum standards designed to create a uniform European university landscape.
The Lower Saxony University Law stipulates that universities establish or discontinue courses according to the objectives agreed between the state government and the university. All courses must undergo examination and evaluation by an external accreditation agency: “The quality of each course and each significant modification of a course must be evaluated (accredited) by a scientific body that is independent of both the state and the university.” (NHG, Lower Saxony University Law, § 6). Courses are accredited for a limited period. This means that they undergo continuous quality control in the form of re-accreditation by an external agency.
On its web site hochschulkompass.de, the Accreditation Council publishes the accreditation status of all courses in Germany.