List of Recognized Higher Education Accreditation Organizations - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Under the Education Reform Act 1988 it is illegal to offer a degree or qualification that implies it is a degree, without permission from the Secretary of State, a Royal Charter or an Act of Parliament. Some qualifications relating to particular professions are regulated by the government, but most non-degree qualifications are unregulated.

It is important to distinguish between the accreditation status of an institution, and the accreditation status of the qualifications it offers. These two aspects will often be dealt with by completely different organisations, and an institution that has one does not necessarily have the other. The Department for Education maintains a list of all bodies that have their own degree awarding powers ('recognised bodies'), all bodies that currently teach a course which leads to the award of a degree from a recognised body ('listed bodies'), and 'recognised awards' which are awarded by bodies who have very specific degree awarding powers. Prospective students should also consult the National Database of Accredited Qualifications, maintained by all three UK accreditation bodies. All bodies who award UK degrees are subject to a regular external quality assurance reviews by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Non-accredited qualifications given by professional bodies (e.g. those of the Institute of Directors) can be prestigious, and should not be automatically discounted.

Organisations involved in the accreditation of further and higher education institutions and/or qualifications in the UK are:

• The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in England
• The Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS) in Wales
• The City and Guilds of London Institute
• The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for Northern Ireland.
• The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) across the UK
• The British Accreditation Council for independent HE and FE institutions across the UK
• The British Council for English language schools only
• The Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) for independent colleges in UK and colleges and universities worldwide
• The Engineering Council UK for degrees in engineering and technology in order to be registered as professional engineer (Chartered Engineer-CEng- or Incorporated Engineer-IEng)
• The Institution of Engineering and Technology
• The Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC)
• The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) for publicly funded institutions