Get Your Program Accredited
ACGC grants accreditation to any graduate program in genetic counseling that meets or exceeds the Standards of Accreditation. Accreditation is granted for a finite period and must be renewed as specified by ACGC.
About Accreditation
Accreditation is a process of external peer review in which a private, non governmental agency or association grants public recognition to an institution or specialized program of study that meets certain established qualifications and educational standards, as determined through initial and subsequent periodic evaluations.
ACGC grants accreditation to any graduate program in genetic counseling that meets or exceeds the Standards of Accreditation adopted August 1, 2023. Accreditation is granted for a finite period and must be renewed as specified by ACGC.
The ACGC Accreditation Manual includes the rules of procedure by which ACGC operates. Policies related to the accreditation process are included in this manual.
Benefits of Accreditation
ACGC accreditation benefits genetic counseling programs and advantageously affects the genetic counseling profession as well as the general public by:
- Promoting and insuring quality and diversity in programs by requiring educational institutions to continuously evaluate and improve their processes and outcomes
- Supporting institutions and programs in their efforts to meet and exceed standards
- Identifying programs that meet nationally accepted standards for prospective students
- Fostering and facilitating higher levels of academic performance, integrity, and quality by both genetic counseling students and professionals
- Better preparing students for certification exams and the workforce
- Providing prospective employers
with highly competent and qualified genetic counseling graduates
GETTING STARTED
Applying for New Program Accreditation is a process initiated by an accredited sponsoring institution that is in good standing with a recognized regional accrediting agency in conjunction with the proposed program. ACGC accredits qualified, masters-level genetic counseling training programs located within institutions chartered by and physically located within the United States and Canada. ACGC recommends that all universities and/or institutions who are considering developing a master’s degree in genetic counseling become familiar with the Revised Standards of Accreditation, and the Practice Based Competencies as a first step in understanding the components of an accredited program.
The required application materials enable the ACGC to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the developing program’s proposed structure and educational plan to determine if these should enable it to comply with the Standards. The Candidacy Application allows a developing program to demonstrate the plans they are making to establish themselves and provides for an opportunity to receive guidance from ACGC that can be applied in the New Program stage. The New Program application is much more in depth and requires a developing program to demonstrate full compliance with all Standards possible and prepares the program to accept their first cohort.
STEP ONE: APPLY FOR CANDIDACY
Fee: $4,500 (Non-Refundable)
Prospective programs and institutions must submit an Application for Candidacy.
Upon approval, the proposed program becomes an ACGC Candidate. Achieving Candidate status does not mean that the proposed program will become accredited, but means it is progressing towards accreditation.
Submission Deadline: An Application for Candidacy may be submitted at any time.
Materials for Submission: A complete Application for Candidacy.
Review Timeline: ACGC will respond to the Application for Candidacy within 6 weeks from the date of receipt. At this time, the sponsoring institution may receive Candidate status, or a request for additional information may be made before a decision can be rendered.
The time for first response is not equivalent to the
timeline for approval.
If the Application for Candidacy is insufficient, the sponsoring institution will be notified of the issues to be addressed. The institution will have 60 days to respond and submit requested materials/information. If the institution does not fully address all issues raised in the initial ACGC review, the Application for Candidacy will be considered abandoned and a new Application for Candidacy must then be submitted.
step two: apply for accreditation
Fee: $7,000 (Due On Submission)
Once a proposed program becomes an ACGC Candidate, they are invited to submit a New Program Application through Armature.
Submission Deadline: New Program Applications will be accepted twice per year (January 15 and May 15) and a maximum of three applications will be reviewed in each cycle. At the time a Candidate is invited to submit a New Program Application, they will be notified of the dates for the next three review cycles with an opening. Programs must select one of the three review cycle dates provided. Space in the cycle will not be considered reserved until the $7,000 fee is received by ACGC.
Materials for Submission: A complete New Program Application and all requested Biosketches.
Review Timeline: The average time for a final accreditation decision on a New Program Application is 8-12 months, however, ACGC does not guarantee an accreditation decision by any specific date. Proposed programs reviewed in the January 15 cycle will receive their first response from ACGC by April 1. Proposed programs reviewed in the May 15 cycle will receive the first response by August 1. First response is not equivalent to approval. The majority of New Program Applications go through more than one round of review prior to receiving a final accreditation decision.
Request for change in review cycle: Once a review cycle date has been selected and reserved, proposed programs may file a written request to change their review cycles. Requests must be accompanied by a fee as outlined below and are subject to availability:
- Less than three months prior to application deadline: $1,000
- Three to six months prior to application deadline: $500
- More than seven months prior to application deadline: $250
Any program that fails to submit a completed New Program Application by its review cycle date, or a written request to change review cycles, will forfeit any and all fees paid and will have its Candidacy status removed. A new Application for Candidacy and fee would then be required if the program wishes to continue working towards accreditation.
A program whose application for Accredited New Program accreditation is subject to a final denial decision may re-apply as a new program no sooner than six months from the original date of reconsideration and/or appeal.
