About A.E.C.S.A

AECSA is a non-profit organisation set up to investigate and categorise the educational standards of universities and professional organisations around the world.

Over the years it has investigated over 1,000 universities and professional bodies, and list all who meet its high certification standards as "approved" organisations. AECSA also lists universities and professional bodies that are of a dubious nature under headings such as "degree mills" and "non-traditional" institutions on this website.

AECSA also undertakes the ranking of universities and professional bodies by specialisation, either by itself or via the rankings published by leading educational establishments, newspapers and professional journals... More >



Professional Bodies

In most countries professional bodies start as incorporated associations formed by individuals of like interest. An overwhelming majority of these are self regulated bodies, with their own constitutions, rules and ethical guidelines. Certain professions, however, come under stricter governmental regulation, such as medicine, law and in some countries engineering and accountancy. Such professional bodies are either created by an 'Act of Parliament' (referred to as having a Government Charter) or in some commonwealth countries, certain professional bodies are granted a 'Royal Charter' after significant demonstration of academic and professional rigor.

 

Unlike in the case of universities (where AECSA considers as "accredited" only those accredited by the 5 regional accrediting agencies in the USA, or those that have a Government or Royal Charter elsewhere), professional associations are more complex to rate as some 'self-regulated' incorporated associations have impressive track records far outstripping those that may have (say) a Royal Charter.

 

AECSA therefore provides a rating system of such professional bodies, based on its investigations, as follows:

 

Rating 1: Professional associations having strict membership criteria, including completion of state-of-the art education programs (usually at Masters Degree Level); strong recognition by employer groups; provision of substantial membership benefits and a strong mandatory continuing education development (CPD) program.

 

Rating 2: Professional associations having some educational requirements for membership (usually at undergraduate degree level); reasonably high recognition by employer groups; provision of good membership benefits and voluntary CPD requirements.

 

Rating 3: Professional associations having very open entry membership criteria, often with minimal level educational requirements (usually at trade school level or lower); a poor level recognition by employer groups; very basic membership benefits and almost no CPD requirements.

 

If a professional association is not rated, it is simply that AECSA has not got around to verifying its standing. If you are particularly interested in such an association, please contact AECSA, and we will fast track it in our ratings schedule.

 

If you are an administrator for an Association that has not been rated (or you disagree with the rating given), please click here to have your institution rated.

 

The following is a list of Professional Associations have been verified (or being scheduled for verification) by AECSA, under broad specialist categories. Where relevant AECSA also indicates membership of a professional body in a worldwide consortium (such as IFAC for accounting bodies), but this should not be taken as an indicator of the standing of that body.

 

If you are an administrator of a professional body that has not been rated, please click here to have your organisation submitted to the AECSA approval process.



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