Accreditation is the condition of a higher education programme's legitimacy: only an accredited programme gives the student a state-recognised degree, and when accreditation is lost the law protects the student. This page is written precisely from the student's angle: why accreditation matters for me, how to read the programme's status, and what happens when the status changes.
What accreditation means for a programme
Under the law, the purpose of accreditation is, through determining the compliance of an educational programme with accreditation standards, to promote the raising of the quality of education, the establishment of systematic self-assessment and the development of quality-assurance mechanisms. The standards are in the law itself: the programme's aims, learning outcomes and correspondence to them; teaching methodology and organisation; students' achievements; provision of teaching resources; opportunities for developing quality. For the student this means accreditation is not a bureaucratic inspection but a guarantee of the conditions in which he or she studies.
How to read the programme's status
The decision is taken by the Accreditation Council — in accordance with the accreditation regulations, on the basis of the expert group's conclusion. The decision is of four types: on accreditation; on conditional accreditation; on refusal; on cancellation. The terms are also fixed: the validity of accreditation is 7 years, conditional accreditation no more than 4 years, and a conditional decision may not be taken twice in a row. Accreditation is granted where the programme fully or mostly satisfies the standards; a conditional one where it satisfies them partly. Within this frame the student reads the status of his or her programme precisely.
What happens when accreditation is lost
On refusal or cancellation, the institution is restricted in the right to enrol students, entrants and master's and doctoral candidates on that programme. For students a protection is written: a state-funded student may, for the period set by the Council, continue studies on the same programme and receive funding, or use the right of mobility and transfer to another accredited programme, carrying over the remaining funding. The student's status is suspended for 5 years — together with the right of mobility; an entrant and a master's candidate also retain mobility. On expiry of validity the student may continue until the end of the current semester.
Foreign organisations and other details
The conduct of accreditation is ensured by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement; the accreditation of a programme — a joint one included — may also be carried out by a foreign organisation recognised by the Center. A Georgian-language preparation programme may be conducted only after passing accreditation, and on expiry or cancellation of authorization the accreditation is voided. The American regional accreditation organisations and the networks of the European Higher Education Area are non-Georgian bodies — their Georgian effect is created only through the channel of the Center's recognition.
The particularity of regulated programmes
A separate rule concerns regulated academic programmes: for such a programme, on a decision of accreditation or conditional accreditation, the Council — within the limit of student places established for the institution — determines the limit of student places for the duration of the accreditation. This means that together with the programme's status the enrolment quota changes as well, and the student must monitor this parameter too.
The purpose of accreditation is not a one-off inspection but the entrenchment of systematic self-assessment and the development of quality-assurance mechanisms. The list of standards reflects exactly that: the aims and outcomes of the program and its conformity with them, the methodology and the adequacy of assessment, student achievements and individual work, teaching resources, and the opportunities for developing quality. A higher-education program — including the Georgian-language preparation program — may be implemented only after passing accreditation. The procedure is ensured by the National Center for Educational Quality Development, the decision is taken by the Accreditation Council on the basis of the expert group’s conclusion; and the Center also monitors compliance with the conditions, being entitled to apply to the Council with a demand of revocation on breach. For an institution this means that accreditation is an ongoing obligation of evidence, not a certificate obtained once.
Frequently asked questions
Below we answer the most common questions about accreditation.
Why does accreditation matter to a student?
Only an accredited programme gives a state-recognised degree; without accreditation the document's value drops.
What is the term of accreditation?
7 years; conditional — no more than 4 years and not twice in a row.
What happens to the student on refusal?
Enrolment on the programme is restricted; the student retains continuation for the set period or mobility, with the status suspended for 5 years.
And on expiry?
The student continues until the end of the current semester and then uses the right of mobility.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team verifies the status of your programme and its consequences, assesses the routes of mobility and funding, and plans steps so that a change of status does not interrupt the studies. In a written consultation you receive an assessment for your situation. Contact us through the Legal.ge website.