Accreditation is a process of voluntary, non-governmental review of educational institutions and programs. Specialized agencies award accreditation for professional programs and academic units in particular fields of study.
Institutional accreditation reviews entire colleges and universities.
In the self-evaluation process, a school assesses its accomplishments in relation to its mission and objectives, as well as on the criteria in the accreditation standards. The peer review is an external analysis of a school's processes for achieving its mission, assessing educational outcomes, and planning for continuous improvement. Of the accredited institutions, more than 150 have achieved additional accreditation for their accounting programs. The peer review process includes a review of the program's strengths, limitations and opportunities, with the ultimate purpose of improving educational effectiveness. Peer review provides advice and counsel and offers new perspectives on the program's operation.