EAHEA Course-level "Course" Accreditation
Accreditation is a review of the quality of universities, educational institutes, vocational institutions, colleges, schools, distance learning centers, lifelong learning centers, online courses, corporations, agencies, professionals, and instructors. All over the world, accreditation is a major way that students, families, government officials, and the press know that an institution or program provides quality education.
Accreditation may be either institutional or programmatic and is a voluntary, comprehensive, and objective process of outside peer review to determine whether an institution or program meets the standards of the accrediting body in institutional and/or educational quality and effectiveness. The EAHEA provides institutional accreditation for its members.
What is the Course Accreditation Service?
This accreditation service is for educational institutes, vocational institutions, and online courses that include a specific course (online course, vocational/avocational course, esl program of study/course, foreign language training, seminar/workshop training, corporate in-house training, test preparation, industry certification preparation, licensing preparation, etc) with a curriculum of less than 300 clock hours.
Course Accreditation does not contain institutional accreditation. Course Accreditation is an independent service: you can apply for it without holding any other EAHEA service. If you also want institutional accreditation, you can apply for Full or Online Accreditation separately. Holders of a Course Accreditation can also apply for ECTS Certification, which certifies the ECTS credits of the accredited courses; for a whole degree program, apply for Program Accreditation instead.
The terms of this service are set out in the Terms and Agreement and in the EAHEA Institutional Accreditation Agreement, which EAHEA provides during the application process.
About the EAHEA Accreditation Status
1. EAHEA Accreditation isn´t a Substitute of Legal Regulations: Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental peer review process. Accreditation by the EAHEA shall be understood to convey only that the higher education institution meets the EAHEA´s educational standards. Such recognition is not in any way intended to substitute legal authorization, recognition, or regulation through compliance with local government laws. Legal authorization, recognition, or regulation, and government accreditation occur in the context of different reviews.
2. Institutional Accreditation: The EAHEA-accredited institution is evaluated as a whole entity or in every specific program offered. Thus, the EAHEA accreditation status is programmatic, and it may be useful for the approval of specific programs (not for licensing of professions).
3. Global & International Scope: The EAHEA accreditation focuses primarily on educational quality from a global and international perspective, not narrow interests, or political action, or educational fashions. The EAHEA is aware of the differences among countries that may arise in regards to fulfilling the quality standards set forth, so EAHEA will examine each higher education institution, expecting their institutional autonomy and following a non-discriminatory policy. Due to this global policy, the EAHEA is not part of any country´s governmental agencies. Academic mobility and credit transferability of accredited institutions will always be subject to the receiving country or institution's policy.
4. Changes to Your Course: The accreditation is granted for the course as it was evaluated. A major change to its educational content (curriculum, syllabus), duration, name or title, level or delivery mode is reviewed again by EAHEA and a change fee is charged. Inform EAHEA before you put such a change into practice; until the review is completed, the accreditation does not cover the changed course. A minor change that does not alter these elements needs only a notice and no fee.
5. Code of Ethics and Use of the EAHEA Name and Logo: For as long as it is accredited, your institution complies with the rules of conduct that EAHEA sets in the Code of Ethics Declaration Form and uses the EAHEA name, logo, emblem, seal and badges only as the Logo & Emblem Usage Guidelines allow. Both documents are available on the Documents & Forms page.
6. Contact Details, Checks and Complaints: Your institution informs EAHEA within 30 days of any change in its contact details and keeps the information in the Institutional Contact Declaration & Update Form accurate, complete and up to date; if it does not, EAHEA may suspend the accreditation and any EAHEA membership of your institution. EAHEA may check, with or without prior notice, whether your institution complies with its obligations, and your institution facilitates the check. EAHEA may examine any complaint about your institution that comes from a third party and may ask for an oral or written defence; according to the seriousness of the complaint, the accreditation may be suspended or revoked. A suspended or revoked status is published in the public directory with a short reason for five years from the date of the decision; after that the institution is removed from the directory and the records stay in the EAHEA archive.
Rights of The EAHEA Accredited Institutions
The EAHEA-accredited institutions are entitled to:
- Claim Accreditation by the EAHEA.
- Use the EAHEA name, logo, emblem, seal and badges as the Logo & Emblem Usage Guidelines allow.
- Receive an accreditation certification.
- Be listed on the EAHEA website as an accredited member.
- The EAHEA website will provide a link to the accredited member website.
- Use the EAHEA monitoring and feedback services.
- Be periodically informed of any comments received on its behalf.
- Get an invoice for tax deduction purposes.
- Promote your institution through the EAHEA Education Network.
- Access EAHEA News Alerts and Newsletter.
- Get discounts for all EAHEA sponsored events.
What Do You Get Upon Course Accreditation?
- Course Accreditation Certificate
- Course Accreditation Audit Report
- EAHEA Accredited Course Seal and Badges
- Institutional Members Directory Listing
- E-delivery News Alerts and Newsletter
- Discounts for all EAHEA sponsored events
What Are The Course Accreditation Fees?
All service fees are according to the World Bank Country Income Classification, and additional discounts may be applied depending on the economic situation of the country in which your institution carries out most of its activity or the country in which it is legally established. For Course Accreditation Fees, please visit the Service Fees page.
Payment: The whole price, the Application Fee and the Accreditation Fee together, is paid at once when you apply.
Renewal: The accreditation is valid for 12 months and is renewed each year. If your institution holds a valid Full Accreditation, Online Accreditation or Associate Membership on the renewal date, Course Accreditation is renewed automatically and free of charge; otherwise it is renewed each year for the renewal fee. A reviewed major change is charged a change fee. An accreditation that is not renewed ends. Fees are not refundable, except an amount that was paid twice or by mistake. EAHEA may use third-party software and authorized intermediary companies for international taxation, invoicing and collection.
