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Accreditation authorities

Learn more about the organisations that help ensure individuals seeking registration as a health practitioner have the knowledge, skills and professional attributes necessary to safely and competently practise their profession in Australia

Learn more about our accreditation processes review

Accreditation in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) helps ensure health practitioners have the knowledge, skills and professional attributes necessary to practise their profession safely and competently in Australia. 

Accreditation authorities play an important role in exercising accreditation functions in the National Scheme. From January 2023, our office began assisting with complaints about the processes of accreditation authorities in relation to:

There are two types of accreditation authorities in the National Scheme: external accreditation authorities and committees established by the National Boards. External accreditation authorities work with the relevant National Board to deliver specified accreditation functions under a formal agreement with Ahpra on the National Board’s behalf. There are 10 external accreditation authorities. Committees established by the National Boards work with the National Board based on the committee’s terms of reference. There are six accreditation committees. These committees are supported by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) staff.

An accreditation authority’s role in the accreditation of programs of study

All individuals seeking to become registered in Australia must first demonstrate that they are qualified for registration in their profession. One of the main ways practitioners can demonstrate they are qualified for registration is by completing a program of study that has been approved by the profession’s National Board. This means the applicant has been granted an ‘approved qualification.’

A list of approved programs of study is provided on Ahpra’s website.

Accreditation and approval of programs of study

For each profession, an accreditation authority plays an important role in determining which programs of study lead to graduates being qualified for registration in Australia. 

An accreditation authority for each profession is responsible for:

  • developing the accreditation standards against which programs of study are assessed (for approval by the National Board)

  • assessing programs of study to determine whether they meet the approved registration standards and whether or not the program of study should be accredited (with or without conditions).

If an accreditation authority decides to refuse to accredit a program of study, it must provide notice of its decision to the education provider. This notice must include information about how to seek an internal review of the accreditation authority’s decision.

The accreditation authority must then provide the National Board with its report and accreditation decision. The National Board decides whether to approve (including subject to conditions) the program of study as leading to an approved qualification.

Ensuring accredited programs of study meet the required standards

Once a program of study has been accredited, accreditation authorities are required to monitor whether the program of study continues to meet the accreditation standards.

If an accreditation authority decides that a program of study is no longer meeting the accreditation standards, it can decide to:

  • impose conditions on the accreditation of the program of study to ensure it meets the standards within a reasonable time

  • revoke the accreditation of the program of study.

Learn more about program of study accreditation complaints we can assist with

  • The National Scheme

    Learn more about how Australia’s health practitioners are regulated.

  • Ahpra and the National Boards

    Find out more about the role the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the 15 National Boards play in how the National Scheme works.

  • Accreditation processes review

    Find out more about our review of existing processes and procedures of accreditation organisations in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

  • Accreditation complaints

    Find out more about what to expect when our office accepts accreditation-related complaints.

  • Ombudsman complaints

    Find out more about the complaints we assist with.

Make a complaint

Find out more about how to make a complaint to the Ombudsman or Commissioner.

Accreditation authorities which undertake program of study accreditation activities

Accreditation authorities and the assessment of overseas qualified practitioners

Some accreditation authorities also assist with processes related to the assessment of overseas qualified practitioners. The assessment processes for overseas qualified practitioners vary by profession.

Four accreditation authorities assist with the assessment of authorities in other countries who conduct examinations relevant to registration in a health profession, or accredit programs of study relevant to registration in a health profession, to decide whether persons who successfully complete those examinations or programs of study have the knowledge, clinical skills and professional attributes necessary to practise the profession in Australia.

Learn more about assessment of overseas qualified practitioner complaints

Accreditation authorities which undertake assessments of overseas qualified practitioners

A person in scrubs sits behind their desk with a laptop and glasses in front of them

Complaints about specialist medical colleges

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) accredits 16 specialist medical colleges and their specialist training programs. The Medical Board of Australia has approved these programs of study as providing a qualification for the purposes of specialist medical registration. The colleges have also been appointed by the Medical Board to assess overseas-trained specialists seeking specialist registration in Australia.

We can assist with complaints about specialist medical colleges’ training programs and assessments of specialist international medical graduates.

Learn more about specialist medical colleges

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