Legal Status/Accreditation/Quality Assurance

 

Confirmation by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economics (BMWFW)

In its correspondence dated 8 September 2015, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economics (BMWFW) confirmed the following:

  • The Danube Private University is a “recognised and accredited educational institution”.
     
  • The academic title of Doctor of Dental Medicine (Dr. med. dent.) conferred upon graduation from the Diploma Programme in Dental Medicine at DPU has the legal status of an academic degree conferred by universities in accordance with the Austrian Universities Act (Universitätsgesetz – UG 2002).
     
  • The degree programme in dental medicine is in line with EU Directive 2005/36, Article 34.

 

Extension of the Accreditation of Danube Private University (DPU)
 The accreditation of Danube Private University was extended by decision of the Board of the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria – AQ Austria (AQ Agentur für Qualitätssicherung und Akkreditierung Austria), following the conclusion of the reaccreditation procedure in accordance with section 10 of the Decree on Accreditation of Private Universities (Privatuniversitäten-Akkreditierungsverordnung – PU-AkkVO), with effect from 1 August 2014 for a period of six years until August 2020. Within the framework of the procedure for the extension of Danube Private University’s accreditation, all of the programmes offered by DPU:

  • Diploma Programme in Dental Medicine to Dr. med. dent.
  • Bachelor/Master of Arts in Medical Journalism and Public Relations (BA/MA)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Dental Hygiene (BA)

as well as its university-based postgraduate Master of Science (MSc) programmes for specialisations in various fields of dentistry:

  • Aesthetic Reconstructive Dentistry
  • Functions and Prosthetics
  • Oral Surgery/Implantology (In German and English)
  • Clinical Oral Surgeon/Implantologist (Full-time)
  • Orthodontics (in German and English)
  • Clinical Orthodontist (Full-Time)
  • Endodontics

have been assessed and their reaccreditation and continuation approved.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following members of the  review board:  Univ. Prof. Dr. Carlo Marinello, University of Basel, Chairman; Univ. Prof. Dr. Regina Mericske-Stern, University of Berne; Univ. Prof. Dr. Günter Bentele, Leipzig University; Sarah Schober, student member, Medical University of Vienna; as well as the representatives of the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria – AQ Austria (AQ Agentur für Qualitätssicherung und Akkreditierung Austria).  They were all involved in the procedure for the “extension of the accreditation of DPU”, with an inspection of DPU on 11/12 March 2014, and compiled the extensive report and expert opinion dated 30 April 2014.  We have acknowledged their positive appraisal of all the important review criteria with regard to the fulfilment of the staffing and spatial requirements, as well as the practicum facilities and dental clinic (Ambulatorium), with great pleasure.

Following the conclusion of the reaccreditation procedure in accordance with section 10 of the Decree on the Accreditation of Private Universities (Privatuniversitäten-Akkreditierungsverordnung – PU-AkkVO), it is the obligation of both the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria – AQ Austria (AQ Agentur für Qualitätssicherung und Akkreditierung Austria) and Danube Private University to publish the review report and its findings on their websites. This is to include:

  • the report and expert opinion
  • the decision of the Board, including the grounds for its decision and
  • the statement of the applying institution under review with regard to the report and expert opinion

Personal information, financing sources, business and trade secrets are exempt from publication and replaced by an ellipsis in square brackets […]. The report and expert opinion of AQ Austria has had only a very limited amount of personal information removed. The DPU statement concerning the report and expert opinion of AQ Austria has been published in full.

Danube Private University would like to thank the review board and AQ Austria for the constructive criticism contained in the review report and will build on it in its continued efforts to develop the university into an internationally renowned institution of teaching and research. Any suggestions and recommendations concerning developments, improvements, clarifications and additions will be implemented, in so far as this has not already occurred or these are not already in preparation.

Of the many positive appraisals from the review board for the courses of study at DPU, and particularly its Diploma Programme in Dental Medicine (Dr. med. dent.), we would like to cite the following highlighted statement from Section 3 of the expert opinion,  “Strengths of DPU”: “The establishment of the course of study (dental medicine), which is based on a stringent concept of academic models and education methods and should guarantee a degree upon completion (for the first time at the end of 2015), thus ensuring the necessary expertise for the later exercising of the profession of dental practitioner.”

A conclusion that we also consider of importance in the expert opinion of AQ Austria is “the orientation of the degree to the principles of comprehensive, problem-oriented and evidence-based dentistry“.

The conclusions in the “Standards” section (page 12 of the expert opinion) represent a further positive assessment in the extension of DPU’s accreditation and state:  “In conclusion it must be stated that the academic structure, didactical design of the curriculum, continuing education modules, examination regulations, workload and course duration of the programmes fulfil, if not surpass, international standards.  The required learning objectives and qualifications are attainable and the envisaged academic title is internationally comparable.”

The required official documents pertinent to the extension of the accreditation are published below:

Doctoral Programme in Dental Medicine (PhD)

In accordance with the decision issued by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria – AQ Austria (AQ Agentur für Qualitätssicherung und Akkreditierung Austria) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Wirtschaft) on 12 July 2017, Danube Private University has been granted the accreditation to offer a six-semester scientific doctoral programme (PhD) in dental medicine (180 ECTS) and the right of habilitation as a private lecturer, so that a DPU Habilitation Regulation has come into effect.

Within the framework of the comprehensive accreditation procedure for the DPU application as performed by AQ Austria, the review board assessed a total of 30 criteria on the course of study, study management, academic staff, quality assurance, funding and infrastructure, research and development, and national and international cooperation, and concluded that DPU fulfils all of the required criteria.

In the “Summary and Final Assessment” on the accreditation procedure, the experts of the AQ Austria review board state:  “The central requirements for a doctoral programme, as well as a positive research environment are excellently fulfilled by the available technical resources and the many existing and ongoing research topics. The same applies for the qualification of the supervising staff, the majority of which already possess extensive experience in the management of research projects and supervision of doctoral candidates from earlier positions at German and Dutch universities. This is reflected in the many, for the most part, high-level publications.”


“All in all, it can be stated that the infrastructure and staff of DPU are very well suited for the successful provision of a doctoral programme at DPU,” states AQ Austria. The conclusion of AQ Austria states: “The overall assessment of DPU's accreditation application for a doctoral programme in dental medicine should be considered as innovative and ground-breaking.”

The accreditation of the doctoral programme has the implicit consequence that DPU fulfils all the requirements for the right to habilitation. “In this respect, the habilitation regulations also come into effect with the accreditation of the doctoral programme,” states AQ Austria.

Report and Expert Opinion on the Doctoral Programme in Dental Medicine (PhD) AQ Austria

In addition, the following courses of study were submitted for accreditation:

Human Medicine (BSc): Report

Human Medicine (Dr. med. univ.): Report

2020 – At its 59th meeting on 26 February 2020, the Board of AQ Austria considered the application of Danube Private University to change the accredited  Human Medicine master’s programme (6 semesters, 180 ECTS credits, Doctor medicinae universae, abbreviated Dr. med. univ., organisational form full-time, places of implementation Krems-Stein in cooperation with the clinical cooperation partner Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen GmbH in Wels-Grieskirchen). The location of the master’s programme was changed by the addition of further cooperation partners. In future, in addition to the existing cooperation partners, the programme will also be carried out in cooperation with the clinics of KRAGES (Burgenland, Austria) and SLK Lungenklinik Löwenstein (Germany). The Board of AQ Austria has decided to grant the request for change.

Further quality clinic cooperations are currently being reviewed by AQ Austria.

Further accreditations from 2013:

Master of Science in Periodontology and Implantology (MSc): Report
Bachelor of Dental Hygiene (BA): Report