International Accreditation for Education, Continuing Education & Professional Training
The International Accreditation Board for Continuing Education and Training (IABCET) provides structured accreditation pathways for eligible educational institutions, education organizations, continuing education providers, professional training organizations, and educational and professional programs.
Its accreditation framework connects defined standards, eligibility requirements, evidence, assessment, external evaluation, formal accreditation decisions, continuing improvement, and public verification within a structured quality-assurance system.
A structured accreditation framework for education and professional learning.
IABCET brings together standards, eligibility, evidence, assessment, external evaluation, accreditation decisions, continuing review, and verification to provide a defined pathway for organizations and programs seeking accreditation.
- Institutional Accreditation
- Program Accreditation
- Continuing Education Provider Accreditation
- Professional Education & Training
- Public Accreditation Verification
Accreditation Built on Standards and Evidence
IABCET provides a structured accreditation framework through which eligible organizations and programs can demonstrate how they address applicable standards, maintain appropriate educational systems, support learners, evaluate performance, and pursue continuing improvement.
Accreditation is not treated simply as a designation. The IABCET approach connects defined expectations with documented evidence, structured assessment, external evaluation, formal decision-making, continuing requirements, and verification of accreditation status and scope.
This framework can be applied across different educational contexts while recognizing that institutional accreditation, provider accreditation, and program accreditation address different objects of review and therefore require appropriately defined criteria and evidence.
The IABCET Framework
A credible accreditation system requires defined standards, appropriate evidence, structured evaluation, accountable decision-making, and continuing oversight.
- Defined accreditation standards
- Clear eligibility and application requirements
- Evidence-based assessment and evaluation
- External review and formal accreditation decisions
- Governance, ethics, and conflict-of-interest safeguards
- Transparency, verification, and continuing improvement
From Eligibility to Accreditation Decision
IABCET connects the major components of accreditation into a defined pathway so organizations and programs can understand what is expected before, during, and after evaluation.
Establish Standards
Accreditation standards establish defined expectations for educational systems, governance, learning, learner support, accountability, evaluation, and continuing improvement.
Review StandardsDetermine Eligibility
Eligibility requirements help organizations and programs determine whether they can enter an applicable accreditation pathway and what conditions must be addressed.
Check EligibilityPrepare Evidence
Applicants develop documentation and evidence demonstrating how applicable standards, criteria, policies, processes, learning requirements, and outcomes are addressed.
Application RequirementsAssessment & Evaluation
Evidence is reviewed through structured assessment and evaluation against the applicable accreditation standards, criteria, and scope.
Assessment & EvaluationAccreditation Decision
A formal accreditation decision establishes the applicable outcome, status, and defined scope following completion of the relevant review process.
Accreditation DecisionsContinuing Improvement
Accreditation extends beyond an initial review by encouraging continuing evaluation, corrective action, improvement planning, maintenance of standards, and where applicable, reaccreditation.
Explore ReaccreditationA Complete Accreditation System
Standards establish expectations. Evidence demonstrates implementation. Evaluation tests the evidence. Accreditation decisions establish status and scope. Continuing review supports ongoing accountability and improvement.
Standards
Defined standards establish the foundation for accreditation review and provide a common reference for educational practice, governance, learner support, accountability, and improvement.
Review StandardsEligibility & Requirements
Eligibility, application requirements, criteria, documentation, and evidence requirements establish the conditions for entering the applicable accreditation pathway.
Review EligibilityEvidence & Evaluation
Organizations and programs provide evidence that supports structured assessment and evaluation against the standards and criteria applicable to their accreditation scope.
Explore EvaluationExternal Review & Decision
Where applicable, external evaluation contributes to the review process before a formal accreditation decision establishes the applicable status and scope.
Accreditation DecisionsContinuing Improvement
Accreditation connects quality assurance with continuing development, review, maintenance, improvement, and where applicable, reaccreditation.
Explore ReaccreditationDifferent Pathways for Different Accreditation Scopes
IABCET distinguishes institutional, provider, and program accreditation so that evaluation can address the appropriate organization, educational provider, or defined program scope.
Institutional Accreditation
Institutional accreditation addresses the broader educational organization, including governance, educational systems, academic or professional learning operations, learner support, quality-assurance processes, and continuing improvement.
Institutional AccreditationProgram Accreditation
Program accreditation addresses a defined educational or professional program and may examine curriculum, learning outcomes, instructional delivery, faculty or trainers, learner support, assessment, resources, records, and program effectiveness.
Program AccreditationContinuing Education Provider Accreditation
Provider accreditation is designed for eligible organizations delivering continuing education, professional development, CPE, CEU, PDU-oriented, credit-hour, and related professional learning activities within applicable requirements.
Provider AccreditationAccreditation Across Education and Professional Learning
IABCET's accreditation framework is designed for eligible educational and professional learning contexts, with the applicable standards and scope determined by the type of organization, provider, program, and learning activity under review.
Educational Institutions
Universities, colleges, schools, academies, institutes, and other eligible educational organizations can explore institutional and applicable program accreditation pathways.
Explore InstitutionsContinuing Education
Eligible continuing education organizations can address structured learning activities, credit hours, learner records, instructional requirements, evaluation, and applicable CE, CEU, CPE, or PDU frameworks.
Explore CPE & CEUProfessional & Technical Education
Eligible professional and technical education may include structured courses, diplomas, technical qualifications, professional programs, and specialized education subject to applicable requirements.
Professional Education & TrainingPostgraduate & Professional Programs
Eligible postgraduate scope may include Master’s degrees, professional Master’s degrees, MBA and comparable postgraduate programs, Doctoral degrees, professional Doctorates, and other eligible postgraduate qualifications, subject to applicable standards and evaluation requirements.
Explore ProgramsStructured Learning With Documented Credit and Achievement
Continuing education encompasses a broad range of structured learning designed to maintain, develop, or extend knowledge and professional capability. Depending on the applicable framework, learning may be documented through credit hours, CE, CEU, CPE, PDU, certificates, transcripts, completion records, or other appropriate records.
IABCET's framework can support eligible continuing education providers in establishing documented learning requirements, instructional expectations, learner records, assessment practices, evaluation processes, and systems for maintaining credible records of participation and achievement.
The appropriate credit or professional-development framework depends on the educational context, profession, organization, receiving body, and applicable requirements. Accreditation should therefore be considered together with the specific requirements of the organization or profession receiving the education or credit.
Learning Records Matter
A structured learning system should make achievement easier to document, review, and verify.
- Defined learning requirements
- Documented credit or contact hours
- Assessment and completion records
- Certificates and learner records
- Provider documentation
- Verification resources
Professional, Healthcare, Medical & Occupational Safety Education
IABCET provides accreditation pathways for eligible specialized education and professional training contexts, subject to the applicable scope, standards, eligibility requirements, evaluation, and external requirements.
Healthcare & Medical Education
Eligible healthcare and medical education activities can address structured professional learning, continuing education, instructional quality, learner requirements, assessment, documentation, and applicable evaluation processes.
Medical Continuing EducationOccupational Safety & Health
Eligible occupational safety and health education and training can address structured learning, professional competency development, instructional requirements, assessment, records, and continuing improvement.
OSH Education & TrainingProfessional Education & Training
Professional education organizations can explore accreditation pathways for eligible professional development, technical education, specialized training, and structured learning programs.
Professional EducationA Strong Accreditation System Requires More Than a Certificate
Confidence in accreditation is strengthened when standards, evaluation, governance, ethics, transparency, decisions, verification, and continuing review operate as connected parts of the system.
Governance
Governance structures support oversight of accreditation standards, policies, processes, evaluation activities, decisions, and continuing quality-assurance responsibilities.
Leadership & GovernanceEthics & Integrity
Ethical conduct, integrity, impartiality, confidentiality, responsible professional practice, and appropriate safeguards are important components of a credible accreditation system.
Ethics & IntegrityTransparency
Public information about accreditation scope, status, standards, policies, directories, decisions, and verification helps stakeholders understand the accreditation framework.
Trust & TransparencyComplaints & Appeals
Defined review mechanisms provide structured channels for addressing appropriate accreditation-related concerns and supporting procedural accountability.
Complaints & AppealsAccreditation Makes Educational Practices More Visible
Accreditation can provide organizations and programs with a structured framework for demonstrating how educational standards, documented processes, learner support, assessment, accountability, and improvement are addressed.
For institutions, providers, learners, employers, professional organizations, universities, and other stakeholders, defined accreditation status and scope can provide useful information when evaluating an educational organization or program.
Acceptance or use of an accredited program, credential, credit, certificate, or learning activity remains subject to the requirements and policies of the relevant employer, university, professional organization, regulator, licensing authority, certification body, or other receiving organization.
What Accreditation Can Demonstrate
A defined accreditation status provides a structured reference for understanding the organization or program reviewed and the scope within which accreditation was awarded.
- Defined standards and requirements
- Documented evidence and evaluation
- Formal accreditation status
- Defined accreditation scope
- Public verification resources
- Continuing improvement expectations
Verify Accreditation, Credentials & Certificates
Verification helps stakeholders review accreditation information, organizational or program status, defined scope, and applicable credentials or certificates.
Public Verification Supports Informed Decisions
Institutions, employers, learners, professional organizations, and other stakeholders can use IABCET verification resources to review available accreditation information and confirm the applicable status and scope of an organization, provider, program, professional credential, or CPE/CEU certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find practical information about IABCET, accreditation pathways, eligibility, standards, evaluation, continuing education, program scope, and verification.
What is IABCET?
IABCET is the International Accreditation Board for Continuing Education and Training. It provides structured accreditation pathways for eligible educational institutions, organizations, providers, and programs across continuing education, professional education, technical education, specialized training, and eligible academic and professional programs.
What Is IABCET?What does IABCET accredit?
IABCET provides accreditation pathways for eligible institutions, continuing education providers, professional training organizations, and defined education and professional learning programs. Eligible program scope may include courses, diplomas, technical and professional programs, Master’s degrees, MBA and comparable postgraduate programs, Doctoral degrees, professional Doctorates, and other eligible postgraduate programs, subject to applicable requirements.
Explore Accredited ProgramsAre all programs automatically eligible?
No. Program and organizational eligibility depends on the applicable accreditation pathway, standards, criteria, scope, documentation, and evaluation requirements. Eligibility to apply does not by itself guarantee accreditation.
Review Eligibility RequirementsDoes IABCET accredit Master’s and Doctoral degrees?
IABCET's intended accreditation scope includes eligible Master’s and Doctoral degree programs, including professional Master’s degrees, MBA and comparable postgraduate programs, and professional Doctorates, subject to applicable standards, eligibility, scope, evidence, evaluation, and formal accreditation requirements.
Program AccreditationWhat are CE, CEU, CPE and PDU?
CE refers broadly to continuing education, while CEU, CPE, and PDU may represent different systems for documenting continuing education or professional development. Definitions, calculation methods, eligibility requirements, and acceptance can vary according to profession, organization, employer, certification body, or educational context.
Explore CPE & CEUHow can accreditation be verified?
Accreditation information can be reviewed through the IABCET Verification Center and Accreditation Directory. Stakeholders should review the current status, accreditation category, and defined scope when evaluating an accreditation claim.
Verify AccreditationExplore IABCET Accreditation
Whether you represent an educational institution, continuing education provider, professional training organization, or eligible educational program, begin by identifying the applicable accreditation pathway, reviewing the standards and eligibility requirements, and understanding the evidence and evaluation process.