Academic standards, credit transfers and associated issues

Various policies govern the way academic standards are managed and maintained. This includes organisational and program accreditation. Who decides what makes a program acceptable from a discipline and educational perspective? Should IMIA be developing accreditation guidelines for external program accreditation? Also the extent to which individual students are able to gain recognition for study undertaken elsewhere and thus reduce the length of the degree program undertaken varies by higher education provider. For example CQU provides credits based on study undertaken at the same level and where the content is similar as well as in line with overall program learning objectives for up to 50% of the total requirements. Internationally there are a number of governmental and not for profit private organisation providing an infrastructure to assist with the identification of legitimate educational certificates/degrees obtained overseas. In addition overseas skills recognition is undertaken by each University. This chapter examines these from a number of different international perspectives.