Overview of Accreditation
Accreditation is a process conducted by an external organization which grants accreditation to educational programs that have demonstrated a specified level of quality and integrity in its operations. Accreditation is a process that is entered into voluntarily by educational programs and requires their self-appraisal and continuing improvement. Accreditation provides assurance to the general public, the educational community, governmental agencies, potential students, and other organizations and individuals regarding the quality and integrity of institutions and programs.
In the United States, private, independent entities typically make accreditation decisions. These accrediting agencies establish standards and other criteria for accreditation, conduct virtual or onsite visits to verify compliance with standards, and decide whether to accredit the professional programs that have applied. Once accredited, the institutions and programs are monitored and periodically re-evaluated by their accreditor, and they engage in a periodic, comprehensive self-appraisal process at time intervals specified by the agency.
There are two basic types of accreditation: “institutional” and “programmatic.” Institutional accreditation pertains to an entire educational institution, while programmatic accreditation pertains to specialized or professional programs, departments or schools that are part of the higher education institution.
The Ayurvedic Accreditation Commission (AAC) is a programmatic accrediting agency. As such, it serves to ensure the high quality of Ayurvedic medicine education in the United States through the granting of accreditation to programs in Ayurvedic medicine that voluntarily seek AAC accreditation and meet AAC’s standards.
