Effective April 2007

To be eligible for consideration for accreditation, an institution or entity must satisfy the following minimum requirements.

1.     It shall be either an institution of postsecondary education (as herein defined)  primarily offering certificates or diplomas and postsecondary institutions offering associate's, bachelor's, or master's degrees in programs designed to educate students for professional, technical, or occupational careers; or a noninstitutional entity offering professional enhancement education.

An institution is presumed to be an institution of postsecondary education if it (1) enrolls a majority of its students in one or more programs, the content of which is on a post secondary academic level and which leads to a post secondary academic credential (such as a certificate, diploma, or degree) or an occupational objective; (2) enrolls students who possess a high school diploma or its equivalent, or who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance and demonstrate through valid assessment an ability to benefit from the educational experience; and (3) offers at least one program which is a minimum of 300 clock hours in length.

2.     It shall be legally organized; be licensed by (1) the appropriate  state education agency for postsecondary institutions or (2) the appropriate state agency for  authorizing the conduct of business in that state for non institutional entities; and have offered its educational services to general public for at least two years immediately prior to consideration of the application by ACICS.

3.     Its mission shall be to offer educational programs which help students  develop skills and competencies to enhance their careers.

 

4.     Its residential enrollment and enrollment in each program shall be sufficient both to support course work and learning experiences that, separately or in combination, constitute measurable and defined educational programs, and to enable ACICS to assess the educational effectiveness of those programs.

 

5.     It shall have a sufficient number of graduates from a majority of its programs to enable ACICS to assess the educational effectiveness of those programs. Programs offered at any credential level from which there are no graduates will be reviewed in accordance with standards outlined in the Accreditation Criteria.

6.   It shall be in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

7.    It shall be organized as a corporation, as a limited partnership with corporate general partner, or as a limited liability company.

 

8.    Its evaluation for accreditation shall be authorized by the chief executive  officer.

 

9.    Its owner or managers shall not have been debarred by ACICS.