Accreditation Program Overview
The AAFCS Accreditation Program assures the public that accredited undergraduate family and consumer sciences programs provide the highest quality educational experiences and prepare students for professional roles to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.
Accreditation standards for university programs and the criteria embedded within the standards reflect the highest quality expectations defined by the profession. As such, they are based on research, best practices, and qualitative indicators of performance, especially measures of program effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity, including those related to student learning outcomes. As the profession evolves, standards for assessing quality may be redefined periodically.
The standards for accreditation are clear, valid for the profession, and reliably assessed by qualified peers. The process for accreditation is rigorous, useful, non-burdensome, and technologically sensitive. The standards and criteria for accreditation by AAFCS are applicable to all post-secondary family and consumer sciences programs, regardless of program differences such as size, scope, specialization, delivery methods, or public, private, or consortium affiliation.