Institutions seeking initial accreditation with the Distance Education Accrediting Commission should first review the eligibility requirements in the DEAC Accreditation Handbook. Distance Education should be the primary method of study for the majority of students and distance education courses should comprise the majority of curricula offerings of the institution. Each step of the accreditation process is described in detail within the Accreditation Handbook. Institutions should anticipate a minimum of two years and often up to five years from the first step through the final decision on granting initial accreditation.
DEAC’s Frequently Asked Questions for Institutions Seeking Accreditation addresses some of the fundamental questions regarding the initial accreditation procedures such as:
- What are the first critical steps in the accreditation process?
- When will the Application for Accreditation receive approval?
- What are the costs involved for accreditation?
- What is a readiness assessment?