EQAC ACCREDITATION
Accreditation of Educational Institutions
Education Quality Accreditation Commission
INFORMATION ABOUT EQAC ACCREDITATION
The EQAC, Education Quality Accreditation Commission, will grant recognition of educational quality to all the institutions that meet our standards through a voluntary, non-governmental guided self-regulation that is called accreditation. Accreditation of an institute guarantees that the learning offered by that institute is consistent and of sound quality.
EQAC accreditation is similar to an ISO certification, but specific to the field of education.
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Click here to download the Application for Accreditation (Self Assessment Report .docx)
Why is EQAC Accreditation Important?
Nearly on every country, education is supervised by the national or regional government that dictates policy on higher education and establishes control mechanisms over educational institutions that operate within their territories. These control mechanisms are frequently identified with accreditation.
However, the rigidity of these official procedures does not usually take into account the rapid technological, social and cultural changes from today. Many schools, educational programs and training initiatives are seeking to adapt their programs to the needs of the actual world, but they do not find a qualify recognition that may endorse them.
What happens then with all those higher education initiatives not fitting the traditional educational establishment? What about those who provide new pedagogical approaches? Or those offering study programs not yet considered by the official education system? Or those that respond to the current demand of a globalized market with independent training? The accreditation of EQAC, the Education Quality Accreditation Commission, serves with the purpose of providing endorsement to all these training initiatives.
It is essential to recognize that, in a globalized market, accreditation mechanisms may be different from each other. For years, United States accreditation was considered the great reference in education, but this is no longer the case, as evidenced by the impact that many schools in other countries are currently having on a globalized higher education. The ECTS credit system of the European Union is an example. The accreditation offered by EQAC may well be another example, since it combines the best of the European and North American criteria among its quality standards.
Professionals, parents, students and many other people are considering accrediting organizations as references capable of providing coherent and reliable information about the quality of educational institutions. There is no single model that guarantees the quality of teaching and institutional responsibility. It is essential to recognize that, in a global world, the accreditation system takes many forms. Through accreditation by the Education Quality Accreditation Commission, each educational institution explains, from its own structure and procedures, how it guarantees its quality.
Accreditation is important because it conveys confidence to the public, especially to future students when selecting the educational institution in which to complete their training.
Learn about the standards of EQAC, the Education Quality Accreditation Commission, regarding administrative responsibility, institutional integrity and academic quality. See more…
Important concepts about EQAC educational accreditation
1. It does not replace any legal regulations.
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental review process. The seal of EQAC, the Education Quality Accreditation Commission, does not replace the legal authorization, recognition or regulation established by local, regional or national government laws of the educational institution. Legal authorization, recognition, state regulation, and government accreditation happen in another context and are the responsibility of each educational institution, not EQAC.
2. Accreditation = Quality Seal.
Accreditation by EQAC should be understood as a certification that the higher education institution meets the educational quality standards of the Education Quality Accreditation Commission. The accreditation is similar to an ISO certification but specific to the field of education. EQAC accreditation was established to promote educational quality from a global perspective. We are aware of the differences that may arise in educational institutions in each country regarding compliance with our quality standards, therefore, we are committed to evaluating each higher education institution respecting its institutional autonomy and following a non-discriminatory policy.
3. Institutional, non-programmatic accreditation.
The institution accredited by the Education Quality Accreditation Commission is evaluated as a complete training entity, and not for each specific program it offers. Thus, EQAC's accreditation status is institutional and not programmatic. EQAC accreditation supports all training programs offered by the accredited educational institution. That is, the accreditation status applies to all programs offered by the accredited institution while its accreditation is active.
4. Acceptance of Academic Credits.
Academic credits are the usual format of most educational institutions to value the training hours of a program or degree. There are different types of academic credits and not all of them are compatible with each other. The European Union has established ECTS credits. Academic mobility and transfer of credits from accredited institutions, both by EQAC and any other accreditation entity, will always depend on the criteria of the receiving body. No institution has the obligation to accept academic credits from another institution, regardless of the recognition or accreditation it demonstrates. This applies to ECTS credits as well as any other academic credit format.
5. Professional Practice.
The registration, membership or practice of some professions in each country or legislative area follows its own conditions. An accreditation may be one of the criteria required for the practice of a profession, but we cannot ensure that EQAC accreditation adapts to said legal regulations and is accepted. If the objective of an educational institution is for its programs to qualify for a profession, we recommend that you check whether or not EQAC accreditation can help you meet the legal requirements for the practice of said profession.
6. Official Recognition.
In almost all countries, higher education is controlled and supervised by the national or regional government that dictates policy on higher education and its official recognition. This recognition process is carried out directly by the Ministry of Education or by a designated entity that inspects and evaluates official educational institutions through a process also called accreditation. These recognition criteria are specific to each country, region or profession, and cannot be extrapolated to other countries. There is therefore no official recognition or accreditation at an international level. EQAC accreditation does not provide any official recognition. This is a specific quality seal for education.
7. International Reference.
In order to facilitate academic mobility, the official recognitions of each country, region or profession are brought together within the European Network ENIC-NARIC (National Centers for Information on Academic Recognition), CHEA in the United States (Council for Higher Education Accreditation ), and the UNESCO IAU (International Association of Universities), which offer an official reference at a global level, but do not constitute international recognition in themselves. EQAC accreditation does not belong to any of these organizations, since it was established to promote educational quality from a global perspective, without adhering to the particular interests, political actions, regulations or educational fashions of each country, region or profession. EQAC accreditation constitutes an excellent international reference for educational quality.
8. Symbol of Trust.
Accreditation is important because it conveys confidence to the public, especially future students, that the educational institution they have chosen meets adequate educational quality standards. Many students feel insecure about selecting a foreign educational institution because they cannot weigh its advantages and disadvantages properly. Accreditation from the Education Quality Accreditation Commission can provide a global reference on the quality of an education program, not limited or restricted by each country's local standards or idiosyncrasies.
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Click here to download the Application for Accreditation (Self Assessment Report .docx)
Education Quality Accreditation Commission