Official Standards & Policy

NASPAA Accreditation is guided by several official documents:

• NASPAA Accreditation Standards - adopted in 2009, and amended in 2019, the set of Standards against which programs seeking accreditation are evaluated.

  • Programs seeking accreditation through 2020 will be evaluated against the 2009 NASPAA Accreditation Standards, last amended in 2014. 

• Self-Study Instructions - the template for Self-Study Reports, as well as resources for conforming to the Standards (Bases of Judgment, Glossary, Examples). Last updated December 2019. 

  • Programs seeking accreditation through 2020 should reference the 2017 Self-Study Instructions – the template for Self-Study Reports submitted until 2020, as well as resources for conforming to the Standards (Bases of Judgment, Glossary, Examples). 

• Site Visit Manual – detailed information about Site Visits: what to expect and how to prepare for both site visitors and programs.

• Peer Review and Accreditation Policies and Procedures – the official rules and processes guiding COPRA, site visit teams, and programs.

These documents are supplemented by:

• COPRA Policy Statements – a window into the Commission’s decision-making, updated after each accreditation cohort. Last updated 2019.

• Self-Study Instructions Summary of Changes – a full listing of the streamlining edits in the Self-Study Instructions (edited December 10, 2019).