List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations

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This is a list of recognized higher education related accreditation organizations. The list includes agencies and organizations that play a role in higher education accreditation and which are recognized by the appropriate governmental authorities.

The United States based Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (a non-governmental organization) maintains an International Directory which "contains contact information about 467 quality assurance bodies, accreditation bodies and Ministries of Education in 175 countries. The quality assurance and accreditation bodies have been authorized to operate by their respective governments either as agencies of the government or as private (nongovernmental) organizations."[1]

Contents

Hong Kong [edit]

In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) conducts accreditation under an ordinance that took effect on 1 October 2007.[2] The former Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation was replaced by this new authority. The HKCAAVQ maintains a list of accredited programs[3] and programs accredited by the HKCAAVQ also may be entered into Hong Kong's Qualifications Register.[4]

India [edit]

Universities in India must be created through government action. Institutions "which are not established under either Central or State or UGC Act" are labeled "fake universities/vishwavidyalayas" and lack authority to grant degrees.[5]

Recognition or accreditation of courses of study is under the authority of a set of professional councils established by statute and other autonomous coordinative or regulatory bodies established or recognized by the University Grants Commission:[6]

Pakistan [edit]

HEC alert.gif

In 2003, Canada began helping Pakistan develop an accreditation system. As stated in "Ordinance No. LIII of 2002, Para 10, Clause e", the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan may set up national or regional evaluation councils or authorize any existing council or similar body to carry out accreditation of institutions including their departments, facilities and disciplines by giving them appropriate ratings.

United Kingdom [edit]

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 This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (April 2013)

Under the Education Reform Act 1988 it is illegal to offer a degree or qualification that implies it is a degree, without permission from the Secretary of State, a Royal Charter or an Act of Parliament.[9] Some qualifications relating to particular professions are regulated by the government,[10] but most non-degree qualifications are unregulated.

It is important to distinguish between the accreditation status of an institution, and the accreditation status of the qualifications it offers. These two aspects will often be dealt with by completely different organisations, and an institution that has one does not necessarily have the other. The Department for Education maintains a list of all bodies that have their own degree awarding powers ('recognised bodies'), all bodies that currently teach a course which leads to the award of a degree from a recognised body ('listed bodies'), and 'recognised awards' which are awarded by bodies who have very specific degree awarding powers.[11] Prospective students should also consult the National Database of Accredited Qualifications,[12] maintained by all three UK accreditation bodies. All bodies who award UK degrees are subject to a regular external quality assurance reviews by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Non-accredited qualifications given by professional bodies (e.g. those of the Institute of Directors) can be prestigious, and should not be automatically discounted.

Organisations involved in the accreditation of further and higher education institutions and/or qualifications in the UK are:

United States [edit]

Main article: Higher education accreditation in the United States

Regional accreditors [edit]

Main article: Regional accreditation

There are six regional accreditors involved in higher education accreditation in the United States.[13]

Additionally, the Board of Regents of the State of New York is recognized as an accreditor for degree-granting institutions of higher education in the state that designate the agency as their sole or primary accrediting agency.[14] New York is the only state that is eligible to be federally recognized as an accreditor under a grandfather clause in federal law that allows recognition for state agencies if they were recognized as accreditors before October 1, 1991.[15]

National accreditors [edit]

The national accreditors get their name from their common (but not universal) practice of accrediting schools nationwide or even worldwide.

Programmatic accreditation [edit]

These accreditors typically cover a specific program of professional education or training, but in some cases they cover the whole institution.

National faith-based accreditors [edit]

There are four recognized nationwide faith-based accrediting bodies in the United States.[13]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "CHEA International Directory introduction". Chea.org. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  2. ^ "Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications". Hkcaa.edu.hk. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  3. ^ "List of Programmes Accredited by the HKCAAVQ". Hkcaavq.edu.hk. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  4. ^ http://www.hkqr.gov.hk/hkqr/
  5. ^ Press Release Precautions against "Fake Universities/Vishwavidyalayas" (F.No-7-3/97(MPC)), University Grants Commission, December 2011 
  6. ^ "Higher Education in India". Government of India Ministry of Human Resource Development Department of Higher Education. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  7. ^ http://www.nba-aicte.ernet.in/
  8. ^ "AICTE to revamp its approval system next week". Business-standard.com. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  9. ^ "See the Education Reform Act 1988, sections 214 to 217". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
  10. ^ See this page on the DfES website for a list
  11. ^ See http://www.dfes.gov.uk/recognisedukdegrees/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.view&CategoryID=1 for all three lists.
  12. ^ "Accredited Qualifications". Retrieved 2013-04-05. 
  13. ^ a b "Recognized Accrediting Organizations". Council for Higher Education Accreditation. August 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-18. 
  14. ^ Accreditation in the United States, US Department of Education
  15. ^ Alan L. Contreras, Why States Shouldn’t Accredit, Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 30, 2005
  16. ^ "State Bar of California, CBE, "Title 4. Admissions and Educational Standards, Division 2. Accredited Law School Rules"". Retrieved 2011-05-24. 
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