This page provides a compact overview of all key information – covering eligibility requirements, the certification process, and the documents you need to submit.
A SystCert specialist certificate confirms your systemic counseling expertise at the highest level and identifies the specialized fields in which you have achieved advanced competence.
To qualify, you must demonstrate professional suitability (typically through a degree or vocational qualification combined with relevant professional experience) and have successfully completed systemic training that meets DGfB standards. The oral competency examination is required only if your systemic training was not part of a SystCert-certified program.
The summary certificate is an up-to-date confirmation of your status as a certified systemic consultant, including all documented fields of expertise. It can be used as official proof for authorities or to support professional applications. The certificate is available in German and English.
A SystCert specialist certificate confirms your systemic counseling competence across professional fields. It also specifies your fields of expertise and confirms that your expertise reflects the latest state of scientific knowledge - a key factor for employers, organizations, clients, and contracting partners.
Yes, the SystCert Specialist certificate corresponds in content to the requirements framework of the internationally recognized standard DIN EN ISO/IEC 17024 for personnel certification at an expert level.
Your certificate is always issued in both German and English.
Yes, your certificate is always issued in English as well.
The review of your application and the issuance of your certificate are handled by an authorized certification body on behalf of SystCert. All applications are typically processed and finalized within four weeks.
A recognized SystCert-certified training program follows a structured curriculum and includes all components required for certification as a systemic consultant.
If you meet the professional suitability requirements, you will receive your specialist certificate — including the designation of your field of specialization according to the completed training program — without the need for any additional examination. You do not have to take an oral competency examination at the certification body.
A core training program follows a structured curriculum and has a minimum duration of one year. Completion of a core training program demonstrates specialized competence, which is highlighted as a field of expertise in the certification as a systemic consultant.
Recognized institutes designate their core training programs separately to provide clearer orientation for participants.
For certification as a systemic consultant, additional training achievements are required — either a second core training program or further seminars in the same field of expertise — in order to meet the minimum requirements of systemic training. If you have completed a recognized core training program, you are not required to take an oral competency examination at the certification body.
You can submit your association certificate via the request forms on the SystCert website. Afterwards, the certification body will create a personal account for you, where your SystCert certificate will be stored. Once you have paid the processing fee, you can download your certificate in both German and English at any time.
Within one month, you also have the option to apply for additional SystCert certificates free of charge by uploading your equivalent association certificates to your account.
You can access all your certificates at any time through your personal account — this applies to both specialist certificates and training certificates.
The validity of the certificates is limited in time as they confirm that that your systemic counseling practice is aligned with the latest scientific standards. Maintaining this status requires continuous professional development. You will be reminded before the expiry date to submit proof of ongoing training. Upon verification, your certificate will be extended for an additional five years.
Continuing education must be relevant to your certified field of expertise. Participation is possible in seminars, conferences, or comparable events offered by any provider, whether external or internal. The qualification, however, must be issued or confirmed by a certified systemic professional.
To extend your certificate, you must document 50 training units (TU) of continuing education over five years for your first field of expertise, plus an additional 10 TU for each additional field of expertise.
Please contact the certification body to find an individual solution for your case. As a rule, additional requirements will be assigned to ensure that you continue to practice systemic counseling in accordance with the current state of the art.
The oral competency examination enables any individual who meets the professional suitability requirements and fulfills the criteria of systemic training to obtain a SystCert specialist certificate, regardless of the educational institute at which the training was completed. This ensures the freedom to choose one’s training provider.
To determine whether the required systemic competencies are present, on the one hand the aspect is assessed if the completed systemic training fully meets the SystCert requirement criteria. On the other hand, the oral competency examination confirms that the applicant possesses the required professional competencies.
The examination consists of an oral interview conducted by an appointed auditor with systemic professional qualification and lasts at least 60 minutes. The discussion is based on a case report submitted in advance by the applicant. The evaluation is carried out according to the competencies defined by SystCert. The result of the examination is either “passed” or “not passed.”
For reasons of readability, we use the generic masculine form. All genders are, of course, included and equally addressed.
Yes, this is possible. However, a different case report must be submitted than the one used in the previous examination. The procedure remains the same.
Individuals who have successfully completed their systemic training at a recognized SystCert institute (certified comprehensive or core training programs) are exempt from the oral examination, as the institute has already conducted the competency assessment. They automatically receive their specialist certificate, subject only to payment of the processing fee to the certification body.
Individuals who hold an association certificate from DGSF, SG, or DGSP are likewise exempt from the oral examination and automatically receive their SystCert specialist certificate, upon payment of the processing fee to the certification body. Under the transitional arrangement valid until December 31, 2028, a reduced processing fee applies.
To obtain recognition as an institute and to offer SystCert-certified training programs, you must demonstrate professional organizational management. There are specific requirements in place for this. If your institute already holds an AZAV accreditation or an accreditation from a systemic professional association and already conducts association-certified training programs, the submission of these documents will fulfill almost all essential steps of the recognition process.
On the one hand, you demonstrate the highest level of training quality to prospective participants. On the other hand, your graduates are exempt from the oral final examination when applying for a SystCert specialist certificate and pay significantly reduced certification fees to the certification body.
You must have obtained the relevant specialist certificate at least 12 months prior to your application. Furthermore, you must provide evidence of at least 1,000 training units (TU) of training experience, carried out after the specialist certificate was issued.
Yes. Holders of teaching certificates issued by DGSF, SG, or DGSP may submit these as evidence of competence until December 31, 2028. No additional examination will be required, and the equivalent fields of expertise will be listed accordingly.
To renew the teaching certificate, you must provide evidence of 1,000 training units (TU) of training experience within five years, equivalent to approximately 20 teaching days per year. It is up to you whether this experience is gained through freelance work for clients or employment with an organization. For each field of expertise, a minimum of 100 training units must be demonstrated within the total requirement.
In addition, the corresponding specialist certificate for each training field must be valid.