External Quality Assurance

The structures of the MUK ensure the integration of external expertise into the processes of the private university. University, personnel, artistic and scientific developments are made possible at MUK with the involvement of external experts.

External expertise is incorporated in a variety of ways into studies and teaching (guest speakers, guest lecturers and experts from professional practice, workshops, master classes, course projects).
In preparation for professional practice, auditions and auditions with external jury members are organised. The cooperation with local cultural institutions and organizers within the framework of studies at the MUK serves the same purpose.
The necessary benchmarking with other educational institutions and the requirements of the cultural sector is also carried out through the international exchange opportunities for lecturers and students at the MUK, which are used to a large extent.
Two or three (in the case of appointments to the heads of study programmes) external experts in the relevant fields participate in the selection process for professors and program directors. In addition, two external experts are involved in the appointment process, who examine those candidates who have been invited to a hearing by the appointment committee and who have thus been shortlisted for a professorial position (or a position as head of the programme). In this way, the Rectorate has a further level of quality assurance at its disposal, independent of the appointment committee appointed.
Some of the examinations at MUK are conducted by commissions in which external experts also participate.

In scientific research and artistic research, the scientific community ensures quality assurance by means of peer review procedures. Publications, conference and travel grants, scholarships and, last but not least, third-party funded projects are subject to a strict review system based on excellence criteria.
In order to ensure the quality of internal processes at the Centre for Science and Research at MUK externally, there is an Advisory Board, which is increasingly used for internal review processes and consists of external experts.
External project partners and external experts in scientific and artistic research at MUK are reviewed within the framework of inter-university collaborations such as the Inter-University Research Network Elfriede Jelinek (University of Vienna and MUK) or the research network Beyond the nation, beyond the subject. Rethinking Austrian Modernism (University of Kent UK, co-applicant the MUK)

External consultations and evaluations. MUK also relies on external expertise for counselling its employees. An occupational psychology counsellor is available to MUK employees as a contact person for occupational psychology issues. In addition, regular workshops are offered for MUK employees (e.g. on the topics of stress and coping with it or strengthening resilience).
In accordance with the articles of association, bodies, committees and working groups have the possibility of co-opting external experts on selected topics in order to supplement the competencies available internally with external perspectives.
The same is done on an ongoing basis at the administrative level by involving external consultants in order to be able to make decisions on the basis of a comprehensive assessment by means of additional know-how. In the past, for example, voluntary system accreditations were carried out by the Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency in Hanover.
A further external consultation takes place through the regular collegial exchange among the seven Austrian music universities, which takes place, among others, in the regular cooperation Take Seven — Long Night of the Austrian Music Universities.
As an association, the Austrian Private Universities Conference (ÖPUK) maintains a regular exchange of experiences and develops suggestions for improvement. The ÖPUK forms subject-specific working groups and supports the fields of activity of the private universities.
The MUK is advised and monitored by auditors, the city and federal audit offices and AQ Austria.

The fulfillment of these tasks follows the quality assurance PDCA cycle.
PLAN      Planning measures in compliance with specifications
DO          Enable and secure implementation of projects with external expertise
CHECK    Review involving internal and external expertise
ACT         Improving and adapting measures