Eleven pathways, one accreditation system
Find the accreditation that fits what you operate
Start with the program, educational activity or operating system you want independently reviewed.
Eligibility and scope inquiries are accepted year-round. Begin with a no-fee eligibility and scope review. After pathway confirmation, the applicant agreement, secure evidence submission, technical review and independent decision proceed through the CHSPS applicant workflow.
Find Your Pathway
Which pathway fits you?
Pick the statement that best describes what you want accredited.
General accreditation
Five general pathways
Every card states what is — and is not — accredited, so public claims stay exact.
Education Provider Accreditation
Course Accreditation
Assessment-Based Certificate & Micro-Credential Accreditation
Work-Based Learning & Competency Program Accreditation
Compare all general pathwaysSide-by-side scope, evidence focus, cycle and fees for the five general pathways.
| Comparison point | Certification Program | Education Provider | Course | Assessment-Based Certificate | Work-Based Learning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You operate | A competence-based professional credential | An organization producing education across approved activities | One named course or educational program | A certificate or micro-credential system with a defined learning assessment | A structured workplace learning, apprenticeship, residency-style, supervised-practice or competency-development program |
| Review focus | Governance, job analysis, assessment, security, decisions and maintenance | Provider-level needs, design, delivery, assessment, records and improvement | The offering’s outcomes, content, delivery, assessment and claims | Learning-outcome assessment, credential rules, records and digital integrity | Program governance, role and task framework, learning plan, supervisors, observed performance assessment, safety, fairness, site controls and improvement |
| Cycle | 5 years plus annual reporting | 3 years plus annual reporting | 3 years plus annual attestation | 3 years plus annual attestation | 3 years plus annual reporting |
| Planning target | 4–9 months | 3–6 months | 6–12 weeks | 6–12 weeks | Scope dependent after eligibility review |
| Fees | Published on the Fees & Payment page; the eligibility review is always free. | ||||
CERT Certification Program Accreditation
EDP Education Provider Accreditation
COURSE Course Accreditation
ABC Assessment-Based Certificate & Micro-Credential Accreditation
WBL Work-Based Learning & Competency Program Accreditation
Specialty accreditation
Need assurance for a high-risk system rather than a conventional certification or education program?
Six specialty accreditation pathways apply CORE-100 plus a focused technical standard for assessment integrity, remote examination, medication safety, workforce competency, clinical education quality or consequential AI governance.
Defined operational offerings
Review active offering typesNeed an add-on, supplement, scope module or Certified System review?
HSAI-AI is an HSAI accreditation add-on; ALT-320 is a provider supplement; WCA-TEL is a scope module; and APS and ALT-720 are Certified System offerings. Each uses the status and scope shown in its official record.
Expanded CHSPS portfolio
Explore Work-Based LearningMore ways to demonstrate quality without leaving the CHSPS system.
Certificate and microcredential accreditation and Work-Based Learning & Competency Program Accreditation are both available as active CHSPS pathways.
Portfolio development. The ABC general pathway and the five defined offering standards open for intake are summarized on Portfolio Development.
Not sure which accreditation fits?
Compare Accreditation PathwaysChoose by the program or operating system you want accredited.
Compare all eleven pathways, including commonly confused scopes and multi-program organizations.
Current portfolio
One taxonomy across CHSPS
11 accreditation pathways (5 general + 6 specialty) + 5 defined offering standards = 16 active program codes.
11Accreditation pathways
5 + 6General + specialty pathways
5Defined offering standards
16Active program codes
The current normative standards set contains 17 documents: CHSPS-CORE-100 plus the 16 program/defined-offering standards. Edition 2026.1 is effective August 19, 2026.
Plain answers
Accreditation, explained for first-time applicants
The questions organizations ask before they start — answered in plain language, with the detailed pages linked.
What is certification program accreditation?
Certification program accreditation is an independent review of a credentialing program — its governance, job-analysis basis, assessment quality and security, candidate rights and recertification rules — against a published standard. CHSPS grants it at the program level after conflict-screened technical review and an independent decision, and every award can be checked by anyone on the public verification page.
What is the difference between certification and accreditation?
Certification recognizes a person: an individual demonstrates competence and earns a credential. Accreditation recognizes an organization or program: an independent body reviews the system that grants those credentials. CHSPS accredits programs and organizations; it does not certify individual practitioners.
Who can apply for CHSPS accreditation?
Organizations that operate a certification program, produce continuing education or training, run a defined course, grant assessment-based certificates, or operate one of the six specialty systems covered by CHSPS standards. Eligibility and scope inquiries are free, accepted year-round, and create no obligation.
How long does accreditation take?
The free eligibility inquiry takes about five minutes, and CHSPS targets a written fit-and-scope outcome within 10 business days. The length of the formal review after that depends mostly on how ready your evidence is; CHSPS publishes planning targets for each stage and distinguishes them from measured historical averages.
What does accreditation cost?
Initial review runs from $1,200 (single course) to $6,500 (certification program) depending on pathway, with the application fee credited toward it. Annual fees run $350–$1,800, renewal fees are published per pathway, and the full schedule is public. No fee at any stage purchases or influences an outcome.
What is continuing education accreditation?
Continuing education accreditation reviews the organization that produces continuing education — its governance, faculty standards, instructional design, learner assessment and improvement system — rather than one course at a time. At CHSPS this is the Education Provider Accreditation (EDP) pathway; single offerings can use Course Accreditation instead.
How to apply · Fee summary · Full glossary · Verify an accreditation