Accreditations at the Vetsuisse Faculty

1. Accreditation of the Veterinary Medicine Study Program

Accreditation by AAQ

The Federal Act of June 23, 2006, on University Medical Professions (Medical Professions Act, MedBG) mandates accreditation for study programs leading to a federal diploma. Additionally, the Federal Act of September 30, 2011, on the Promotion of Universities and Coordination in the Swiss Higher Education Sector (Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act, HFKG) requires institutional accreditations for all universities and institutions in the higher education sector and offers voluntary program accreditation for university study programs. The accreditation of veterinary medicine training must meet both the criteria of the HFKG for program accreditation and those of the MedBG (quality standards).

The accreditation process consists of two stages: a self-evaluation report followed by an external evaluation, including a site visit by a review team composed of experts from other veterinary education institutions. The accrediting body is the Swiss Accreditation Council (SAR). The Vetsuisse Faculty, with its two locations in Bern and Zurich, was first successfully accredited in 2010 with the support of the Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ). Since then, the accreditation process has been conducted every seven years.

The latest evaluation took place in 2024, and on March 21, 2025, the Vetsuisse Faculty was accredited without conditions by SAR upon recommendation by AAQ. The next accreditation is scheduled for 2032.

Accreditation by EAEVE

In addition to national accreditation, the study program is regularly evaluated by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). EAEVE assesses veterinary education institutions in Europe in accordance with EU Directive 2005/36, ensuring high standards and harmonization in veterinary training. The Vetsuisse Faculty was first evaluated by EAEVE in 2007 and successfully accredited in 2010, becoming the second European faculty to achieve this status after Helsinki. Another successful accreditation without conditions followed in 2017.

The latest evaluation, including a site visit by the expert team, took place in October 2024. This process is currently ongoing, and the identified deficiencies are under revision.

2. Accreditation of diagnostic services

High standards are required for the quality of services, particularly for the tasks carried out as National Reference Laboratories for a wide range of animal diseases. Through the quality management system based on DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025, examination results, workflows, and methodologies undergo continuous critical review. Every step in service delivery is documented, ensuring traceability. Regular monitoring and accreditation by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) provide external oversight of our quality management system.

The scope of accreditation of the individual diagnostic laboratories can be viewed on the SAS website under the section "Accredited Bodies."

Successfully accredited institutes typically display their status on their websites along with the current accreditation certificate.