Accreditation Step by Step

The 18 Month Accreditation Process

1. Complete the Readiness Review by October 1

   

   1 year before your On-Site Visit

   • Collect samples of student work, syllabi, textbooks and sample assignments.
   • Complete your Readiness Review (if required) by October 1.

2. Submit your Request for Evaluation by January 31

   

   Year of your On-Site Visit

   • Submit your Request for Evaluation (RFE) by January 31 of the year of your program’s On-Site Visit.
   • We will invoice your institution for the On-Site Visit, set a visit date and form a review team between April and May.

3. Complete and submit your Self-Study Report by July 1

   

   Year of your On-Site Visit

   • Complete and submit your Self-Study Report to us no later than July 1.
   • The review team assigned to your program begins reviewing your Self-Study Report.
   • Participate in the Institutional Representatives webinars provided by your commission (details will be emailed to Primary and Secondary Institutional contacts), or view recordings here.

4. The On-Site Visit takes place September – December

   

   On-Site Visit

   • Prepare for your On-Site Visit. Finalize the visit schedule, arrange student and faculty interviews, and, finally, set up rooms with display materials for the review team. You should begin planning and preparation months in advance.
   • Your On-Site Visit typically lasts three days (usually Sunday through Tuesday). It includes a review of your materials; interviews with students, faculty, staff, and administrators; and concludes with an exit meeting, when the team will convey its findings.

5. Due Process and the Accreditation Decision

   

   1 Week After the Visit

   • Provide the review team with corrections to any errors of fact in presentations at the exit meeting.

   2-3 months after the visit

   • Your institution receives the Draft Statement, a formal communication of your review team’s findings.

   3-4 months after the visit

   • During the 30-Day Due Process period your institution responds to any shortcomings identified in the Draft Statement.

   July

   • The ABET commissions meet to decide Accreditation Actions in July. At this meeting your program’s accreditation is discussed and determined.

   By August 31

   • Your program is formally notified of the accreditation action via the Final Statement to the institution.