Prior to ACSE, there was no agency to accredit interdisciplinary academic programs that focus on topics of importance specific to the space industry. Programmatic accreditation such as ACSE is helpful for students and employers to identify and distinguish legitimate programs of value, and it creates a framework for future employers and academic institutions to reach a common understanding of what standards should be included and expected in academic programs.

Analogous to other programmatic accreditors, representatives of employers of future graduates help to define the standards of what students should know and be able to do after graduation. ACSE has an advisory council including representatives from industry, government, and military to define space education standards.

After an academic institution has applied for accreditation and completed a self-study, reviewers from other universities will perform a site visit and peer review.

Subsequently, the reviewers will provide a written report and recommendation to ACSE who makes the final determination. Please see the Accreditation tab for details.