The National Centre for Public Accreditation conducts 3 types of accreditation of clusters of educational programmes:
- public accreditation (3-4 experts);
- international accreditation (5 experts including 2 foreign experts);
- joint accreditation together with a foreign accreditation agency (5-6 experts including experts from a foreign partner agency).
A cluster of educational programmes usually comprises of a maximum of 6 programmes which may be professionally evaluated by one review panel. The procedure of public accreditation lasts from 4 to 6 months. In case of a positive decision an educational institution obtains a certificate of public or international accreditation of educational programmes for a period of up to 6 years. In case of a joint accreditation an educational institution additionally obtains a certificate of accreditation from a foreign accreditation agency.
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Step 1 Obtaining the status of “candidate for professional-public accreditation” Participation in the project "The Best Educational Programmes of Innovative Russia" and obtaining a status of "candidate for professional-public accreditation" by study programmes, recongized as the best in particular region and within the specified field of training on the basis of the results of expert evaluation |
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Step 2 Application for accreditation
Receiving the regulatory and methodological materials in order to prepare an educational programme for professional-public accreditation Agreeing the dates of the site-visit of an External Review Panel (within a week after receiving the application) Conducting a training webinar for the teaching staff responsible for accreditation (upon request) |
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Step 3 Preparation of the Self-evaluation Report by the HEI Submission of the regulatory and methodological materials for self-evaluation to an educational institution and writing a Self-evaluation Report on an educational programme Conducting self-evaluation for compliance with the standards of professional-public accreditation and preparation of a Self-evaluation Report in Russian and English by a HEI (about 2 months) Submission of a Self-Evaluation Report to NCPA (no later than 35 days prior to the site visit of an External Review Panel) |
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Step 4 Preparation for the visit of the External Review Panel Formation of an External Review Panel involving representatives of academic and professional communities, student members and foreign experts Conducting a training webinar for the members of an External Review Panel |
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Step 5 External Review of the programmes of the HEI Site visit of an External Review Panel to an educational institution (3 days). The Panel consists of 2 foreign and one Russian expert, student member and representative of employers Preparation of a final review report by the members of a Review Panel, coordinating the report with an applicant organization (3 weeks) |
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Step 6 Preparation of the analytical materials for making the decision |
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Step 7 Making the decision on accreditation Consideration of the Summary of the educational programme at the meeting of the National Accreditation Board Making a decision on professional-public accreditation of an educational programme (a cluster of programmes) |
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Follow-up procedure Issuance of the Certificate of professional-public accreditation of an educational programme in case of positive decision of the National Accreditation Board for the period for up to 6 years Publication of the information on professional-public accreditation in mass media, reference books and on the Internet in both Russian and English |