Accreditation

The Antioch School is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council.


DETC
1601 18th Street, N.W., Suite 2
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-234-5100
www.detc.org


We are the first truly church-based and competency-based academic institution to receive accreditation by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). We are very proud of this accomplishment because DETC does not grant accreditation quickly or easily. Our process took several years that included extensive Self-Evaluation Reports, a thorough Curriculum Review, an intense Site Visit by a six-member team, and specific Progress Reports.

Accreditation means that the quality of the Antioch School's degree programs has been affirmed by a rigorous peer review process of a respected, independent agency. The Antioch School will be listed in the next edition of the Directory of Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions published by CHEA. This will greatly facilitate transfer of credit and acceptance of prerequisite degrees by other academic institutions.

However, DETC accreditation is just the most recent form of affirmation of the quality of Antioch School programs. We have already been endorsed by leaders of churches, church planting movements, and church networks, as well as other high profile ministry leaders.

It is also our intention to seek accreditation from other agencies. The North Central Association's Higher Learning Commission (NCA) is the regional accrediting agency in the U.S. that provides general accreditation for Iowa State University (the major university in the same city as our headquarters). However, a school must be operating and granting degrees before it can apply. Fortunately, NCA is the most innovative and progressive of the regional accrediting associations. Within a few years of beginning operation, we expect to apply for accreditation with NCA, which will probably be a 2–3 year process (with major renewal processes every ten years at most).

The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is the most well-known accrediting association for graduate theological education in North America but currently doesn't even allow traditional members to offer complete programs through conventional distance education, so we don't foresee seeking ATS accreditation. It is more likely that we will seek accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), formerly known as the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC). ABHE has recently revised its criteria to avoid discriminating against schools and programs on the basis on their delivery system. The new criteria of ABHE are focused on outcomes assessment and quality assurance. It is possible that the accreditation processes of ABHE and NCA could be combined.

As appropriate to support partners in other parts of the world, we will also seek accreditation through the continental associations of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE), such as the Accrediting Council for Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) and Asia Theological Association (ATA).