Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

The specific purposes of the CAA are to:

1. formulate standards for the accreditation of graduate education programs that provide entry-level professional preparation in audiology and/or speech-language pathology;
2. evaluate programs that voluntarily apply for accreditation;
3. grant certificates and recognize those programs deemed to have fulfilled requirements for accreditation;
4. maintain a registry of holders of such certificates; and
5. prepare and furnish to appropriate persons and agencies lists of accredited programs [PDF].

Recognition as an Accrediting Agency

The CAA is the only accrediting agency for audiology and speech-language pathology education programs recognized by the CHEA and USDE.

• Recognized scope of activities under Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA): Accreditation and pre-accreditation (Accreditation Candidate) of master's and entry-level doctoral education programs in audiology and speech-language pathology throughout the United States.
• Recognized scope of activities under the Secretary of U.S. Department of Education (USDE): Accreditation and pre-accreditation (Accreditation Candidate) of entry-level graduate education programs throughout the United States at the master's or doctoral level leading to the first professional or academic degree in audiology and/or speech-language pathology and the accreditation of these programs offered via distance education.

ASHA's accrediting body has been continuously recognized by CHEA and its predecessors since 1964; by USDE since 1967.  Both CHEA and USDE require agencies to participate in scheduled comprehensive reviews every 5-10 years to maintain recognition. The CAA was recently reviewed by both agencies, which resulted in continued recognition by both.

Benefits of national recognition include:

• opportunity for a comprehensive self assessment by the CAA and external reviews of its accreditation process against specific standards 
• affirmation for the public that the CAA has standards and processes that:
  • advance academic quality in higher education, 
  • ensure accountability through consistent, clear, and coherent communication to the public and the higher education community, and 
  • encourage institutions or programs to plan for purposeful change and needed improvement.
• eligibilty for the CAA's accredited programs for certain federal funding, such as grants

Principles of Accreditation

The CAA is guided by a set of principles first developed in 1994 by the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Academic Accreditation Issues, which included representatives of ASHA, the Council on Academic Programs in Communications and Disorders (formerly the Council on Graduate Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders) and representatives from the ASHA standards committees. The CAA reaffirmed these principles during its comprehensive review of accreditation standards in 2005-2006.