Computer Science Accreditation

Accreditation is a form of independent, professional certification that focuses on schools and programs in a particular field. Accreditation therefore assures international students and their parents that the school adheres to high quality standards. Which means the programs are delivered by qualified faculty and are constantly updated to follow the changes and meet the needs of the relevant industry or working world. Attending an accredited school or program is often thought to make you more competitive on the job market.

The Computer Science Accreditation Council (CSAC) established by the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) accredits university bachelor's computer science programs in Canada. This includes bachelor's programs in software engineering, management information systems, computer systems technology, and applied information technology. As well, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) accredits computer science programs indirectly when offered in conjunction with engineering. These currently include computer engineering, computer systems engineering, civil engineering and computer systems and electronic information systems engineering. International students can also look at other quality indicators in the case of programs that do not hold professional accreditation. For instance, interdisciplinary programs may also hold professional accreditation from other bodies (e.g., management information systems programs may be eligible for accreditation from AACSB: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business ). At the community college level, applied degrees and diploma programs in Canada are also eligible for accreditation: a list of accredited programs is available on the CIPS website.

You can also look at whether a school or program has any memberships in, or endorsements by, discipline-specific professional associations which reflect certain standards of quality, but this is not the same as official accreditation.

Accrediting Agencies
Computer Science Accreditation Council (CSAC)
Established: 1982
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Web: www.cips.ca
Accredits computer science and software engineering programs in Canada

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)
Established: 1965
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Web: www.engineerscanada.ca
Accredits engineering programs in Canada

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Established: 1916
Location: Tampa, Florida
Web: www.aacsb.edu
Accredits schools and colleges of business in Canada and internationally

Why Accreditation?
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that the education provided meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are educational associations of regional, national or international scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that agency.