CODA

The Commission on Dental Accreditation serves the public and dental professions by developing and implementing accreditation standards that promote and monitor the continuous quality and improvement of dental education programs.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation accredits dental and dental-related education programs including advanced dental education programs and allied dental education programs in the United States. The Commission functions independently and autonomously in matters of developing and approving accreditation standards, making accreditation decisions on educational programs and developing and approving procedures that are used in the accreditation process. It is structured to include an appropriate representation of the communities of interest.

Accreditation is the ultimate source of consumer protection for prospective students. It is often a prerequisite for governmental funding. Graduation from an accredited program is almost always stipulated by state law and is an eligibility requirement for licensure and/or certification examinations. In short, accreditation of a school or program is a student’s most important source of independent validation that the program has at least enough educational value to be “approved” by a credible (expertise-based), independent (free of outside influence), reliable (consistently applied standards) organization that has the U.S. Department of Education’s approval.

More information about the importance of accreditation can be found at:

• U.S. Department of Education
• Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation