In Alberta, all publicly funded higher education institutions must receive approval from the Minister responsible for advanced education to establish, suspend or terminate degree, diploma or certificate programs.
Overview
In Alberta, the Advanced Education ministry ensures the quality of all degree, diploma and certificate programs offered at all of the province’s higher education institutions. The ministry also designates programs that are more than six months in length and eligible to receive international students. All Alberta higher education institutions that receive international students meet Alberta Designation Requirements quality standards.
Program Approval Process
Proposals for new degree and applied degree programs (except for degrees in divinity), and changes to existing programs are submitted to the provincial ministry of Advanced Education to undergo a System Coordination Review, which looks at:
- Student, economic and labour market demand
- Positioning within the province’s Campus Alberta system
- Financial sustainability and risk identification and mitigation
- Institutional capacity, including resources and staffing
- Benefits, affordability and impacts for learners
Campus Alberta Quality Council Approval Process
Once the program approval process is completed, the proposal is forwarded to the Campus Alberta Quality Council, an arms-length quality assurance agency that makes recommendations on applications from higher education institutions seeking to offer new bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs in Alberta. The Council reviews the proposed program according to specific quality criteria before making its recommendation to the Minister of Advanced Education. The council also conducts periodic evaluations of approved degree programs to ensure quality standards continue to be met.
Licensing Private Career Colleges
The Government of Alberta licenses all programs at private career colleges in Alberta to ensure they:
- Meet labour market demand for graduates
- Provide curriculum considered relevant by industry
- Have appropriate admission requirements
- Offer Instructor qualifications viewed by industry as being suitable
Third Party Oversight Bodies
Alberta works in partnerships with a number of third party accreditation and oversight bodies to ensure that all programs meet the high quality expected by international students. Some of these partners include: