The process that tertiary education organisations must follow to meet the criteria for programme approval or accreditation is linked to external evaluation and review (EER) results.
NZQA has a policy of incentives and sanctions following EER that aim to improve educational quality and performance by providing incentives for high performance.
All non-university tertiary education providers are placed into one of four provider categories based on their EER results.
For more information see:
Provider categories following external evaluation and review
The minimum information required from all providers is:
- evidence of academic quality assurance approval e.g. Minutes of Academic Board approval from wānanga and Te Pūkenga or for smaller PTEs detailed records of programme approval by appropriately designated people in the organisation’s quality management system
- full programme details with supporting documents
- agreement to participate in the external consistency processes specified as part of the qualification.
On this page
Category 3 providers
Applications for programme approval and/or provider accreditation will be considered on a case by case basis according to:
- any quality concerns in the EER report relate to the subject area, school or faculty where the accreditation or consent to assess is being applied for
- the educational organisation immediately engages with NZQA subsequent to the EER and demonstrates it is meeting post-EER improvement action plan requirements within the required timeframes
- any compliance investigations indicate quality concerns are warranted and/or widespread.
Applications must include the full programme details needed to meet NZQA criteria requirements, and a self-assessment report of the application for programme approval using the key evaluation questions.
Category 4 providers
Category 4 providers cannot make new applications.
New applications for programme approval and/or accreditation are suspended until quality improvements are demonstrated through the satisfactory completion of the post-external evaluation and review action plan.
No assigned category
Educational organisations that have not had an EER and have not been assigned a category may apply as a Category 2 provider.
Meeting the requirements for programme approval
Educational organisations applying for programme approval need to meet the gazetted criteria.
The Guidelines go through each of the criteria for programme approval and provide guidance on the information and/or evidence that must be included in the application to enable the decision for approval to be made.
Meeting the criteria for accreditation to deliver an approved programme
Educational organisations applying for programme accreditation need to meet the gazetted criteria.
The Guidelines go through each of the criteria for programme accreditation and provide guidance on the information and/or evidence that must be included in the application to enable the decision for accreditation to be granted.