Programs must:

1A: Publish a program mission statement that describes the program’s mission and connection to the institution’s mission, the needs of the program’s external and internal stakeholders and the ACSE accreditation standards. The program mission statement is a concise statement of the broad purpose of the program, the general values and principles that guide the curriculum and the identification of program stakeholders.

1B: Publish program educational objectives consistent with the institution’s mission, the needs of the program’s external and internal stakeholders and the outlined standards. Program educational objectives are broad statements about what students will have attained upon the completion of degree requirements.

1C: Document and systematically involve external and internal program stakeholders to review the program mission and educational objectives to ensure they are consistent with and applicable to the institution’s mission, stakeholders’ needs and ACSE standards.

Programs must:

2A: Publish goals and provide evidence for recruiting high-quality students from a broad range of backgrounds and diverse individuals who reflect the diversity of the population served by their institution.

2B: Publish and enforce procedures for selecting and admitting students who hold an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or international equivalent) that prepares them to attain mastery of a specific field of study consistent with the program in space education. Students may be admitted provisionally with a plan to compensate for any deficiencies to ensure they can be successful in the program.

2C: Publish and enforce policies for accepting new and transfer students, awarding appropriate academic credit for courses taken at other institutions and awarding appropriate academic credit for work instead of courses taken at the institution.

2D: Publish and enforce procedures to ensure and document that students who graduate meet all graduation requirements and demonstrate mastery beyond the minimum requirements of a baccalaureate degree level.

2E: Publish and enforce policies and procedures that ensure a program of study with specific educational and career goals is developed for each student.

2F: Ensure a system is in place to maintain records of student complaints and document resolution. Student complaint policies and procedures must be published, enforced and reasonable.

2G: Provide an equitable and inclusive admission process, along with mechanisms to support flexible and alternative mechanisms of education funding.

Programs must:

3A: Publish and enforce procedures for verifying that each student has completed a set of interdisciplinary space education master’s level educational and professional experiences that support the attainment of student outcomes defined in Standard 4: Student Learning Outcomes. Examples of an interdisciplinary approach to space education may be curricula that focus on general space studies, space policy, space technical studies, space security/cybersecurity, space communications, space leadership, space business and entrepreneurship, space operations, space economy, international relations in space, space law and ethics, etc.

3B: Programs must provide procedures ensuring students complete practical training to prepare for space careers, such as a space education capstone project, internship or other opportunity for students to engage in hands-on experience.

Programs must:

4A: Publish program student learning outcomes (SLOs) that support the program’s mission and educational objectives and prepare graduates to enter professional practice in the global space ecosystem. Student outcomes include the knowledge, skills and behaviors students are expected to develop in the program and demonstrate by graduation. Student outcomes must include at least the following seven items:

• SLO 1 — Interdisciplinary and Technical Knowledge: A deep interdisciplinary and technical understanding of space, space operations and impacts of space activities
• SLO 2 — Global View: An ability to understand the interconnectivity of the global space economy and geopolitical landscape to ensure that the solutions and outcomes are complete
• SLO 3 — Research Skills: An ability to conduct research, analyze data and draw conclusions on space topics
• SLO 4 — Professional Responsibility: An ability to assume professional responsibility in the space field and to make ethical and informed judgments that consider the economic, environmental and societal impact of those judgments
• SLO 5 — Communication: An ability to communicate in speaking and writing with diverse audiences
• SLO 6 — Teamwork: An ability to function on a diverse team, provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks and meet objectives
• SLO 7 — Problem-Solving: An ability to find meaningful and sustainable solutions to difficult or complex problems

4B: Publish and enforce policies and procedures that ensure student progress and performance are being monitored and evaluated to foster meeting student learning outcomes and enabling graduates to achieve the program mission and educational objectives.

4C: If applicable, publish and enforce policies and procedures that ensure student progress and performance are monitored and evaluated to foster success in attaining any additional student learning outcomes identified as appropriate to satisfy program mission, educational objectives and institutional and other accrediting body requirements.

Programs must: 

5A: Document and publish a plan and the results of the regular assessment and evaluation of program quality and continuous improvement efforts through quantitative and qualitative metrics. Measurable goals must be identified for each ACSE standard area (program mission and educational objectives, students, curriculum, student learning outcomes, quality assurance and continuous improvement, faculty and staff, facilities and resources, and institutional support and leadership). Include timelines, metrics and responsibilities for assessing the goals and goal evidence. Include how data are collected, archived and analyzed.

5B: Provide evidence indicating evaluation results are systematically utilized in program decision-making and actions regarding continuous program improvement efforts and that such evidence is shared with internal and external stakeholders.

5C: Document and publish student acceptance, retention and graduation rates. Data must be disaggregated and analyzed based on demographic categories such as gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other categories relevant to the institution’s mission (for cell counts of more than five students).

5D: Document and publish graduate employment rates and types of employment. Data must be disaggregated and analyzed based on demographic categories such as gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other categories relevant to the institution’s mission (for cell counts of more than five students).

Institutions must: 

6A: Designate enough faculty (regular and adjunct) with appropriate competencies to cover all curricular areas of the program as determined by the program’s mission and educational objectives. Programs support assertions with data and narrative.

6B: Designate at least one full-time faculty member to be the director or administrator with faculty rank to manage and oversee the program.

6C: Ensure faculty possess the appropriate qualifications, by virtue of education, experience or professional licensure, to teach at the master’s level. The overall competence of the faculty may be judged by such factors as graduate educational credentials, research expertise, space education experience, understanding of current professional practice in the global space ecosystem, teaching effectiveness and experience, diversity of backgrounds, ability to communicate, level of scholarship, participation in professional disciplinary societies and relationships with industry.

6D: Ensure faculty are responsible for and have the authority to define, revise, implement and achieve program mission and educational objectives.

6E: Ensure faculty engage in teaching, research and service in accordance with the institution’s standards for other faculty in comparable disciplines. Faculty are expected to teach courses; advise students; engage in peer-reviewed publications, refereed presentations and grant activities; participate in university service activities and professional development; and interact with industry professionals and employers of students/graduates.

6F: Ensure faculty recruitment and selection are consistent with the institution’s standards for other faculty in comparable disciplines.

6G: Ensure faculty rank, professional development, opportunities for promotion and tenure, evaluation process, and salaries and working conditions are consistent with the institution’s standards for other faculty in comparable disciplines.

6H: Designate sufficient support staff (full- and part-time administrative and technical) as determined by student enrollment and the program mission and educational objectives.

Institutions must: 

7A: Provide adequate physical and/or virtual classrooms, offices, laboratories and associated equipment and supplies to support the program mission, educational objectives, curriculum and student learning outcomes to ensure an atmosphere conducive to learning.

7B: Provide appropriate physical and/or virtual facilities, tools and computing resources that represent current professional best practices in space education and ensure their accessibility, maintenance and upgrade for faculty and students.

7C: Provide appropriate communication, guidance and training regarding the use of available facilities and resources to faculty and students.

7D: Provide adequate library and information services, computing and laboratory infrastructure, and equipment and supplies to support the education of students and the scholarly and professional activities of the faculty.

Institutions must: 

8A: Provide adequate support and leadership to ensure the quality and continuity of the program throughout the accreditation period.

8B: Provide adequate resources designated to the program, including institutional services, financial support and support staff (both administrative and technical) to meet program needs.

8C: Provide sufficient resources to acquire, maintain and operate infrastructure, facilities and equipment appropriate for the program to provide an environment where student learning outcomes can be attained.

8D: Provide sufficient resources to attract, retain and provide for the continued professional development of qualified faculty.