Joint CIPS and Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologist accreditation

In January 2011, the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologist (CCTT) and CIPS agreed that, when possible, it should collaborate to ensure that there is no market confusion or unnecessary duplication in the accreditation of computing and information technology college programs. These discussions culminated in the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI), which forms the basis for an agreement on the joint accreditation of college programs.  The LOI acknowledges that CIPS has the greater depth of experience and content expertise in the area of computing, and it will therefore remain the lead organization in the accreditation of software related computing programs.  Joint accreditation, which has been defined as accreditation involving both CCTT and CIPS accreditors using the CIPS criteria and processes, will only take place in those cases where a program meet all the relevant CIPS criteria.  It will be up to the educational institution to determine which form of accreditation, single or joint; they wish to seek for their programs. 

This flowchart allows schools to determine if their program qualifies for joint accreditation. The accreditation process for a joint review is similar to the one-agency CIPS accreditation process.

There are a few exceptions:

a)      Programs will be assessed using both the CIPS criteria and the CTAB National Technology Benchmark for IT.

b)      In addition to completing the CIPS self-study report, the school also needs to complete:

                                I.            the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB) curriculum mapping document 

                              II.            the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB) Profile Table

c)       The accreditation team will include three CIPS accreditors and one CTAB accreditor.

d)      The cost of the visit is $5,200 (plus applicable taxes), unless the school is on the CIPS annual payment plan, in which case there is one-time $1,200 cost (plus applicable taxes) .

e)      The accreditation report will be distributed to both the CIPS Information Systems and Technology Accreditation Council (ISTAC) and the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board. Each body will independently rule on the accreditation decision.

Accreditation visit logistics are coordinated through the CIPS Accreditation Secretariat.  For more information email accreditation@cips.ca