How to Become Accredited
Request Application
Institutes interested in requesting an application are invited to submit a Letter of Intent. You may request application materials for Level I, Level II or both levels of accreditation (should you wish to review both applications before deciding which level to apply for).
- Signed by CEO, Dean, Provost, or other institutional agent
- Letter should indicate commitment to ACS AEI accreditation process
- Submit as e-mail attachment to elangerak@facs.org
Step-by-Step of the Application and Review Process
This voluntary program involves a peer review process. The ACS AEI Accreditation Review Committee (ARC) meets semi-annually to make accreditation decisions—in June and December. Linked below are timelines of the application and review process for both June and December accreditation cycles. (Please Note: if the dates on this timeline happen to fall on a weekend, the deadline will be the following Monday.)
The Accreditation Cycle flow chart provides a visual representation of the entire accreditation review process.
1. Submit an application. Institutes submit application materials for either Level I or Level II applications, according to the process outlined in “Submitting an Application” below.
- Submitting an Application (60K PDF)
- Level I - Comprehensive Education Institute (CEI) (120K PDF)
- Level II - Basic Education Institute (BEI) (310K PDF)
2. Site Survey Visit — the ACS Division of Education will schedule a survey. Two surveyors for Level I applicants and one surveyor for Level II applicants will be sent to the site to spend one day conducting the survey. At the site visit, the surveyor(s) will:
- Collect and validate data
- Interview site participants
- Review documentation for compliance with AEI Standards and Criteria
3. Site Survey Report – Surveyor(s) submits the site survey report to ACS AEI staff members, who prepare it to submit to the Accreditation Review Committee
4. Individual members of the Accreditation Review Committee review applicant materials and surveyor reports, as well as write and submit to the full Review Committee a report with recommendations for/against accreditation, which then votes to make a final accreditation decision.
5. ACS Division of Education notifies applicants of the accreditation decision.
Revised October 6, 2011