Academic Accreditation

Academic accreditation is an acknowledgment by a renowned institution that standards

are realized and requirements met by the academic institution or one of its programs. It is
also the position or rank achieved by the academic institution when it satisfies the
standards of academic accreditation institutions.

Types of Accreditation:
- Institutional Accreditation
- Program Accreditation
- Professional Accreditation

Why is it important to obtain academic accreditation?

- Increasing significance of knowledge as a steering drive of development within
the context of global economy
- Information and Communication Revolution
- Global marketplace
- Global social changes
- Increasing number of students joining higher education
- Limited funds for higher education
- Spread of public and private institutions of higher education
- E-learning and distance learning
- Professional and moral commitment by higher education staff

Objectives of Academic Accreditation

1. To ensuring the realization of minimum requirements by higher education
institutions or programs
2. To assist freshmen students joining higher education institutions offering
accepted programs
3. To assist higher education institutions in identifying credit hours for
students transferring from one institution to another
 4. To assist identifying higher education institutions or programs suitable for
public and private funding
5. To protect higher education institutions against negative internal and
external pressures
6. To develop self-improvement objectives for weak higher education
institutions and upgrade their standards
7. To incorporate faculty and staff in institutional planning and assessment
8. To set up standards for professional licenses and recognition
9. To enhance cooperation within higher education institutions with a view to
improving the quality of programs offered
10. To provide students and employers with exact and clear data and
information on the quality of programs offered
11. To boost cooperation among higher education institutions to reach a
framework for academic degrees
12. To provide advice on granting academic degrees and titles
13. To issue policy manuals
14. To review and evaluate institutional performance
Phases of Academic Accreditation

No. Phase Description

1 Developing The academic accreditation institution concerned develops, in collaboration
Standards with relevant educational institutions, the accreditation standards
2 Raising the Institutions applying accreditation for the first time should raise the culture of
culture of quality quality among their staff
3 Self-Study A self study report should be made by the institution or the program to evaluate
performance in the light of the standards set by the accreditation body
concerned
4 Expert Visit A visit by one person (in case of program accreditation) or more than one
person (in case of institutional accreditation) from the accrediting body to
verify the institution preparedness for assessment. the visit results could lead to
immediate postponed field assessment
5 Filed Visit The accrediting body nominates a team to verify the realization of standards by
the institution
6 Accreditation Accreditation of institution or the program is granted after verifying the
Results realization of standards by the institution
7 Follow-up The accrediting body keeps an annual follow- up of the institution or the
program accredited to ensure compliance with standards all through the
accreditation period
8 Re-assessment The accrediting body reassess the institution or the program accredited after the
expiry of the accreditation period ( ranging from 3 to 10 years)