2022 Accreditation Standards

What is Accreditation

Accreditation is a system for recognizing educational institutions and professional programs for performance, integrity and quality. This recognition is extended primarily through nongovernmental, voluntary associations. Accreditors establish standards and criteria for accreditation, arrange site visits, evaluate institutions and professional programs, and confer accreditation

Who is PAB

The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in planning. PAB standards are developed with input from the stakeholders in the planning community and our sponsoring organizations: the American Planning Association (APA); APA’s American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP); and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).

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Mission & Core Values

PAB’s mission is to promote excellence among planning programs and ensure high quality education for future urban planners. In furtherance of this mission, PAB embraces five core values:

Stewardship: preserving the knowledge base of the urban planning profession with which the Board has been entrusted and supporting the innovations that enhance this knowledge base over time.

Collaboration: advancing the dialogue and partnerships between the academic and practitioner communities.

Communication: articulating the value of an accredited urban planning education to students and the communities they will study and serve.

Integrity: maintaining a commitment to fairness, transparency, consistency and state-of-the-art accreditation practices.

Leadership: providing leadership in sharing and encouraging instructional innovation.

Accredited Programs

PAB currently accredits 78 master’s and 16 bachelor’s programs at 82 North American universities