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Eligibility

EQA is a voluntary designation available to all eligible public and private post-secondary institutions in British Columbia.

An institution’s eligibility and approval for EQA Designation is based on the institution:

  • being a British Columbia post-secondary institution;
  • having met quality assurance standards determined by the Ministry; and
  • being in good standing with both the Ministry and those body(ies) responsible for managing the accepted quality assurance standards.

The EQA Administrator does not make any determination on an institution’s good standing. The EQA Administrator will check with the appropriate quality assurance body and the Ministry on an institution’s good standing with each agency.

Those meeting all EQA eligibility criteria and the provincial quality assurance standards of their governing quality assurance body will be granted EQA Designation and permission to use the EQA brand by the EQA Administrator. EQA-designated institutions will be included in BCCIE’s international marketing and promotional collateral and activities.

Appendix 1 of the Ministry’s EQA Policy and Procedures Manual should be referred to for detailed information on EQA eligibility requirements. Any questions relating to eligibility requirements not considered in Appendix 1 of the Policy and Procedures Manual should be referred to the Ministry for consideration and decision on EQA eligibility.

Provincial Quality Assurance Processes

Each type of BC post-secondary institution is governed by one of the four (4) different provincial quality assurance bodies (AVED, DQAB, Languages Canada, PCTIA) and their associated quality assurance accreditation systems.

The EQA Designation indicates that an institution has successfully received accreditation from its governing quality assurance body and that the institution is in good standing with both its quality assurance body and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED).

Public Institutions

Private Degree Granting

Private Career Training

Private Theological

Private Language Schools

Private Academic (non-degree)

Meets standards through legislative and government accountability mechanisms

Meets required quality assessment process and has Minister’s Consent under the Degree Authorization Act (DAA) 

Voluntarily meets accreditation standards of Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC (PCTIA)

Voluntarily meets quality assurance process through the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB)

Voluntarily meets accreditation standards of Languages Canada or PCTIA

Voluntarily meets quality assurance standards of DQAB or PCTIA

Good Standing with
the applicable Quality Assurance Body and
Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED)
DAA=Degree Authorization Act
DQAB= Degree Quality Assessment Board (governed by Degree Quality Assurance Act)
PCTIA = Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC (governed by Private Career Training Institutions Act, Regulation and Bylaws)
Languages Canada = Languages Canada accreditation process

For further information on provincial quality assurance requirements and processes, please visit:

Legislation governing public colleges and universities: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/institutions/welcome.htm 

Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB) for private degree granting institutions: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/degree-authorization/board/welcome.htm 

Languages Canada for public and private language training institutions: http://www.languagescanada.ca

The Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) for private career colleges and training schools: http://www.pctia.bc.ca