The State Council of Quality (SCQ) of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA), in its meeting held on November 27, 2024, established criteria for study program holders in the field of arts.

The new criteria are grounded in the Law on KAA, European standards and guidelines, and the Standards and Accreditation Manual of KAA. Before making this decision, KAA engaged in discussions with representatives of higher education institutions and adopted best practices from several European countries, including Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, and others.

The SCQ decided that, upon submitting applications for accreditation or reaccreditation of study programs in the field of arts, higher education institutions (HEIs) must declare whether the program is theoretical or artistic.

If the study program is theoretical, the evaluation criteria for program holders will align with those applied to other academic programs.

If the program is artistic, a master’s degree will be considered equivalent, and evidence must be provided for at least three of the following categories:

• PhD in Liberal Arts;
• Reviews of artistic activity;
• Awards for artistic activity;
• Membership in international ensembles and juries;
• Collaboration at established national and international festivals, competitions and events;
• Invitations for appearances at events abroad;
• Collaboration with established national and international art institutions; and
• Positive reviews by rapporteurs.

At this meeting, the SCQ also reviewed and decided on complaints and requests from higher education institutions.