The newly-created bachelor study programmes aim to prepare students for professional life. The goal of the CHE/dapm Rating is to assess bachelor programmes on the basis of how they promote qualifications and competencies that contribute to the professional capability of the graduate. As a result, the rating goes beyond the teaching of academic expertise (which is not included in this rating). To evaluate programmes four dimensions were assessed:

1. Methodological skills
2. Soft skills
3. Practical experience
4. Internationality

An overall rating was compiled from these four areas ranging from one to five stars. Internationality was excluded from the overall assessment of technical programmes (see explanation below). The CHE/dapm Rating was first compiled in 1996 and in its 2008 edition comprises about 500 bachelor programmes at universities, Fachhochschulen, and technical colleges. The subjects included were business studies, mechanical engineering/process engineering, electrical engineering, information technology, computer science, business informatics, industrial engineering and civil engineering.