What is Specialized Accreditation?

COSMA reviews sport managements programs and evaluates how well the program educates students and prepares them for a career in the sport management industry.
 
When programs are reviewed by COSMA, the focus is at the program-level - on its faculty, curriculum, linkages to business and industry, and more. It is the degree-specific program that holds accreditation, not the department or college in which it is housed. Eligibility for COSMA includes having institutional accreditation, so the institutional issues such as financial viability and resources are addressed.

WHY Accreditation MATTERS - CHEA REcognition

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) outlines Ten Ways in Which Accreditation Serves Students, Society, and the Public Interest. CHEA has also created an "Accreditation Tool Kit" for students, faculty, administrators, governing boards, etc. to find resources about accreditation easily

​Need help talking about accreditation? See CHEA's "The Value of Accreditation," "Communicating About Your School's Accreditation," and Accreditation Videos about accreditation, types of accreditation, and President & Chancellor perspectives.

institutional & programmatic accreditation

In the United States, there are two types of accreditation - institutional and specialized. Institutional accreditation looks at the entire institution. Specialized accreditation, such as COSMA, looks at a particular type of professional program at an accredited institution.
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This video by the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) explains the differences between institutional and programmatic accreditation in further detail.

COSMA Accreditation STEPS 

1. Program Membership
2. Candidacy Status
3. Self Study Preparation
4. Site Visit
5. Accreditation Decision

• Accreditation Principles and Self-Study Preparation Manual (2024)​
• Link to Self-Study Manual Appendices
• Accreditation Process Manual
• Site Visit Preparation Manual
• Site Reviewer Resource Guide​

"We opted only to include schools that held COSMA accreditation, an indicator of a quality sport management program."

Sport Management Degree Guide on why they only included COSMA accredited institutions in their ranking of the Top Bachelor's Sport Management Degree Programs​. 

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