Mission, Strategy, and Governance
AAC reviews whether the institution has a clear mission, defined goals, effective governance, and administrative structures that support institutional quality.
Institutional accreditation
Institutional Accreditation
External peer review of institution-wide quality, governance, resources, and academic capacity.
AAC Institutional Accreditation supports higher education institutions seeking external review of institutional strategy, governance, quality assurance, teaching and learning environment, student support, resources, facilities, financial planning, research where applicable, and relationships with the wider community.
Trust and reputation
International Recognition and Affiliations
AAC operates within an international quality assurance context and maintains public recognition, memberships, and affiliations relevant to its institutional role.
Institution-wide quality assurance
What Institutional Accreditation Reviews
AAC Institutional Accreditation focuses on the external review of the higher education institution as a whole. The procedure examines whether the institution has a clear mission, appropriate governance, effective quality assurance, sufficient academic and operational resources, and credible systems for continuous improvement.
Teaching, Learning, and Student Support
AAC reviews the institution’s learning and teaching environment, student administration, student support services, and academic delivery capacity.
Resources, Facilities, and Financial Planning
AAC reviews whether the institution has appropriate learning resources, facilities, equipment, staffing, employment processes, and financial planning.
Quality Assurance and Institutional Development
AAC reviews whether the institution monitors, evaluates, and improves its academic and administrative systems through structured quality assurance processes.
Standards
AAC Institutional Accreditation Standards
Institutional Accreditation is conducted against AAC standards for institution-wide quality assurance. The standards support a structured review of mission, governance, quality assurance, academic delivery, student support, resources, financial planning, employment, research, and community relationships.
Mission, Goals, and Objectives
Institutional mission, strategic direction, goals, and objectives that guide institutional development.
Governance and Administration
Governance structures, decision-making, administrative capacity, leadership, and institutional accountability.
Management of Quality Assurance and Improvement
Internal quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation, feedback, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning environment, academic delivery, curriculum oversight, assessment, and learning outcomes.
Student Administration and Support Services
Admissions, student records, academic advising, student services, progression support, and learner protection.
Learning Resources
Libraries, digital resources, academic materials, learning platforms, and other resources supporting study.
Facilities and Equipment
Physical and digital infrastructure, facilities, equipment, and operational environment.
Financial Planning and Management
Financial planning, resource allocation, sustainability, budgeting, and institutional financial management.
Employment Processes
Recruitment, appointment, workload, staff qualifications, professional development, and employment practices.
Research
Research activity, research support, integrity, policy, and institutional research development where applicable.
Institutional Relationships with the Community
External relations, stakeholder engagement, community links, partnerships, and public contribution.
International reference
Based on Recognized Quality Assurance Principles
AAC accreditation guidelines are informed by the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). Other national and international quality assurance references may also be reflected in the formulation of AAC standards.
Procedure
Institutional Accreditation Procedure and Timeline
The Institutional Accreditation procedure normally takes about 16 to 24 months. The procedure provides AAC and the higher education institution with a comprehensive evaluation of institutional strengths, weaknesses, future opportunities, risks, and improvement priorities.
Phase 1
Application and Scope Confirmation
- Initial meeting with the higher education institution.
- Submission of the application form and self-report or initial self-documentation.
- Approval by the AAC Accreditation Commission for the official opening of the accreditation procedure.
Phase 2
Official Opening and Review Procedure
- Signing of the accreditation contract.
- Creation of the self-documentation according to AAC standards and guidelines.
- Evaluation of the self-documentation.
- First site visit for evaluation of the institution.
- Evaluation of the program(s), where applicable.
- Second site visit for evaluation of program(s), where applicable.
- Compilation of the expert report by the expert panel.
- Statement on the report by the higher education institution.
- Final accreditation decision by the AAC Accreditation Commission.
- Option for complaint regarding the procedure or appeal regarding the Commission decision, according to AAC rules.
- Publication of the accreditation report.
- Accreditation is valid for 6 years and must be renewed afterwards.
Peer review and decision-making
Expert Review, Report, and Commission Decision
AAC Institutional Accreditation is based on peer review. Experts review the self-documentation and supporting evidence, participate in institutional and program review stages where applicable, prepare findings, and contribute to the expert report.
Expert Review
Qualified experts review the self-documentation and supporting evidence, prepare questions, and assess the institution against the relevant AAC standards.
Expert Report and Institutional Statement
The expert panel prepares a report with findings and recommendations. The higher education institution may provide a statement on the report according to the applicable procedure.
Accreditation Commission Decision
The final accreditation decision is made by the AAC Accreditation Commission. Expert panels provide findings and recommendations, but they do not grant accreditation.
Support during review
Guidance During the Accreditation Procedure
AAC provides guidance for preparing the application and self-documentation for Institutional Accreditation. AAC also provides feedback during the procedure and may offer recommendations on the further development of the institution’s self-documentation and quality assurance practice.
Application Guidance
AAC supports the institution in understanding the required application materials, procedural steps, and expected review scope.
Self-Documentation Support
AAC provides guidance on preparing self-documentation in line with AAC standards and guidelines.
Developmental Feedback
The process helps institutions identify improvement priorities and strengthen institution-wide quality assurance systems.
Application
Want to Accredit Your Institution?
The first step is to submit the application form or contact AAC to discuss the intended Institutional Accreditation scope. AAC will review the inquiry and contact the institution regarding the next procedural steps.
Institutional accreditation · Peer review · Quality assurance
Ready to Discuss Institutional Accreditation?
AAC can help clarify the appropriate review scope, required evidence, expected procedure, and next steps for Institutional Accreditation.
Institutional accreditation
Institutional Accreditation
External peer review of institution-wide quality, governance, resources, and academic capacity.
AAC Institutional Accreditation supports higher education institutions seeking external review of institutional strategy, governance, quality assurance, teaching and learning environment, student support, resources, facilities, financial planning, research where applicable, and relationships with the wider community.
Trust and reputation
International Recognition and Affiliations
AAC operates within an international quality assurance context and maintains public recognition, memberships, and affiliations relevant to its institutional role.
Institution-wide quality assurance
What Institutional Accreditation Reviews
AAC Institutional Accreditation focuses on the external review of the higher education institution as a whole. The procedure examines whether the institution has a clear mission, appropriate governance, effective quality assurance, sufficient academic and operational resources, and credible systems for continuous improvement.
Mission, Strategy, and Governance
AAC reviews whether the institution has a clear mission, defined goals, effective governance, and administrative structures that support institutional quality.
Teaching, Learning, and Student Support
AAC reviews the institution’s learning and teaching environment, student administration, student support services, and academic delivery capacity.
Resources, Facilities, and Financial Planning
AAC reviews whether the institution has appropriate learning resources, facilities, equipment, staffing, employment processes, and financial planning.
Quality Assurance and Institutional Development
AAC reviews whether the institution monitors, evaluates, and improves its academic and administrative systems through structured quality assurance processes.
Standards
AAC Institutional Accreditation Standards
Institutional Accreditation is conducted against AAC standards for institution-wide quality assurance. The standards support a structured review of mission, governance, quality assurance, academic delivery, student support, resources, financial planning, employment, research, and community relationships.
Mission, Goals, and Objectives
Institutional mission, strategic direction, goals, and objectives that guide institutional development.
Governance and Administration
Governance structures, decision-making, administrative capacity, leadership, and institutional accountability.
Management of Quality Assurance and Improvement
Internal quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation, feedback, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning environment, academic delivery, curriculum oversight, assessment, and learning outcomes.
Student Administration and Support Services
Admissions, student records, academic advising, student services, progression support, and learner protection.
Learning Resources
Libraries, digital resources, academic materials, learning platforms, and other resources supporting study.
Facilities and Equipment
Physical and digital infrastructure, facilities, equipment, and operational environment.
Financial Planning and Management
Financial planning, resource allocation, sustainability, budgeting, and institutional financial management.
Employment Processes
Recruitment, appointment, workload, staff qualifications, professional development, and employment practices.
Research
Research activity, research support, integrity, policy, and institutional research development where applicable.
Institutional Relationships with the Community
External relations, stakeholder engagement, community links, partnerships, and public contribution.
International reference
Based on Recognized Quality Assurance Principles
AAC accreditation guidelines are informed by the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). Other national and international quality assurance references may also be reflected in the formulation of AAC standards.
Procedure
Institutional Accreditation Procedure and Timeline
The Institutional Accreditation procedure normally takes about 16 to 24 months. The procedure provides AAC and the higher education institution with a comprehensive evaluation of institutional strengths, weaknesses, future opportunities, risks, and improvement priorities.
Phase 1
Application and Scope Confirmation
- Initial meeting with the higher education institution.
- Submission of the application form and self-report or initial self-documentation.
- Approval by the AAC Accreditation Commission for the official opening of the accreditation procedure.
Phase 2
Official Opening and Review Procedure
- Signing of the accreditation contract.
- Creation of the self-documentation according to AAC standards and guidelines.
- Evaluation of the self-documentation.
- First site visit for evaluation of the institution.
- Evaluation of the program(s), where applicable.
- Second site visit for evaluation of program(s), where applicable.
- Compilation of the expert report by the expert panel.
- Statement on the report by the higher education institution.
- Final accreditation decision by the AAC Accreditation Commission.
- Option for complaint regarding the procedure or appeal regarding the Commission decision, according to AAC rules.
- Publication of the accreditation report.
- Accreditation is valid for 6 years and must be renewed afterwards.
Peer review and decision-making
Expert Review, Report, and Commission Decision
AAC Institutional Accreditation is based on peer review. Experts review the self-documentation and supporting evidence, participate in institutional and program review stages where applicable, prepare findings, and contribute to the expert report.
Expert Review
Qualified experts review the self-documentation and supporting evidence, prepare questions, and assess the institution against the relevant AAC standards.
Expert Report and Institutional Statement
The expert panel prepares a report with findings and recommendations. The higher education institution may provide a statement on the report according to the applicable procedure.
Accreditation Commission Decision
The final accreditation decision is made by the AAC Accreditation Commission. Expert panels provide findings and recommendations, but they do not grant accreditation.
Support during review
Guidance During the Accreditation Procedure
AAC provides guidance for preparing the application and self-documentation for Institutional Accreditation. AAC also provides feedback during the procedure and may offer recommendations on the further development of the institution’s self-documentation and quality assurance practice.
Application Guidance
AAC supports the institution in understanding the required application materials, procedural steps, and expected review scope.
Self-Documentation Support
AAC provides guidance on preparing self-documentation in line with AAC standards and guidelines.
Developmental Feedback
The process helps institutions identify improvement priorities and strengthen institution-wide quality assurance systems.
Application
Want to Accredit Your Institution?
The first step is to submit the application form or contact AAC to discuss the intended Institutional Accreditation scope. AAC will review the inquiry and contact the institution regarding the next procedural steps.
Institutional accreditation · Peer review · Quality assurance
Ready to Discuss Institutional Accreditation?
AAC can help clarify the appropriate review scope, required evidence, expected procedure, and next steps for Institutional Accreditation.