What ITAA evaluates
ITAA evaluates an institution's quality assurance by examining its governance, academic standards, assessment and moderation systems, staff qualifications, learner support, complaints and appeals processes, record-keeping and continuous-improvement mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on transparent policies, consistent implementation and evidence that students are protected and supported.
Evidence and documentation required
Institutions provide documentary evidence including a QA manual, published programme specifications and learning outcomes, assessment and moderation policies, external or internal moderation reports, staff CVs, student handbooks, sample assessment tasks and records of complaints, graduations and internal audits. ITAA checks that documents are current, publicly available and consistently applied.
Review stages and methods
Evaluation proceeds in stages: initial application review, detailed documentary assessment, targeted queries, and where appropriate a site or virtual visit. ITAA reviewers use checklists mapped to the Standards and may interview leaders, faculty and students. Findings are recorded, and institutions receive a written report with required corrective actions or recommendations.
Outcomes, monitoring and levels
Outcomes range from accreditation with conditions to requests for improvement, suspension or withdrawal where serious deficiencies affect student protection. Accredited institutions enter a monitoring cycle requiring annual reporting and periodic re-review. ITAA's ranking framework assesses maturity of systems (Foundational, Developing, Established) and is explicitly about systems maturity, not ministry value.
Institutional responsibilities
Institutions remain responsible for complying with all applicable national, state/provincial and local laws, for maintaining truthful public statements, and for ensuring they hold any licences or statutory permissions required in their jurisdictions. ITAA accreditation does not replace governmental recognition or statutory degree-awarding powers.
Frequently asked questions
ITAA accreditation is a governmental licence.
ITAA provides independent non-governmental accreditation and does not grant statutory degree-awarding powers or substitute for any government licence or registration.
Accreditation removes institutional responsibility for legal compliance.
Institutions remain solely responsible for complying with all applicable laws in their jurisdiction; accreditation never overrides local law.
ITAA’s Role
ITAA is the International Theological Accreditation Association. ITAA provides independent theological accreditation focused on student protection, institutional transparency and continuous improvement. ITAA evaluates quality assurance against published Standards, issues outcomes and monitors accredited institutions. ITAA is not a governmental accreditation authority and does not grant statutory degree-awarding powers. Institutions must retain all relevant licences and comply with local law.
Important Accreditation Information