Applying for Accreditation

Those programs that have graduated at least one class of students/residents/fellows and are enrolling students/residents/fellows in every year of the program are considered fully operational. These programs will complete the self-study application document and will be considered for the accreditation status of "approval with reporting requirements" or "approval without reporting requirements" following a comprehensive site visit.

View Site Visit Procedures

Because accreditation is voluntary, a program may withdraw its application for accreditation at any time prior to the Commission conducting the first on-site evaluation. When an accreditation status has been granted, the program has the right to ask that the status be discontinued at any time for any reason.

A program that has not enrolled and graduated at least one class of students/residents/fellows and does not have students/residents/fellows enrolled in each year of the program is defined by the Commission as not fully operational. The accreditation classification granted by the Commission on Dental Accreditation to programs which are not fully operational is "initial accreditation."

When initial accreditation status is granted to a developing education program, it is in effect through the projected enrollment date. However, if enrollment of the first class is delayed for two consecutive years following the projected enrollment date, the program's accreditation will be discontinued, and the institution must reapply for initial accreditation and update pertinent information on program development. Following this, the Commission will reconsider granting initial accreditation status.

Initial accreditation provides evidence to educational institutions, licensing bodies, government or other granting agencies that, at the time of initial evaluation(s), the developing education program has the potential for meeting the standards set forth in the requirements for an accredited educational program for the specific occupational area. The classification "initial accreditation" is granted based upon one or more site evaluation visit(s).

View Site Visit Procedures

1. To obtain an application, please contact the CODA staff member in charge of your specific discipline.

View CODA Staff Directory 

2. Review the guidelines for electronic submission of your application through CODA’s secure online portal.

E-submission Guidelines

3. When your electronic application is ready to be submitted, FIRST complete and email an Administrator Verification Sheet to the appropriate CODA staff member.
   
   Administrator Verification Sheet (DOCX)
   
4. Once CODA has received your Administrator Verification Sheet, we will arrange to open a secure portal site for your program. (Only the program director will have access to this portal.) We will email your unique login information to you. You will use this portal to submit your application AFTER we have received your payment.

Please be certain to fill out the Administrator Verification Sheet completely, and carefully follow all the instructions on the Initial Application Payment Cover Sheet, before you submit either document.

How to Use the Online E-Portal

Go to E-Portal

5. Mail your payment, along with an Initial Application Payment Cover Sheet, to the Commission’s secure lockbox address. (Do NOT mail payments to CODA at the ADA’s main address in Chicago. We can ONLY accept payments through the lockbox address.)

Initial Application Payment Cover Sheet

Mail your payment and cover sheet to:

American Dental Association
28094 Network Place
Chicago IL 60673-1280

Please do NOT mail your payment until you are ready to upload your application.

6. CODA will notify you when your payment has been received. You will then submit your application through the secure portal. The application process begins once we have received both your application and payment.

If you have questions or need help with any aspect of the application process, please contact CODA at 312-440-4653.

The application for accreditation of a dental or dental-related program is considered complete when the program has demonstrated the potential to meet the Accreditation Standards and when the following criteria, as applicable, have been adequately addressed and documented in the application:

1. A dean/program director/program administrator, as applicable, who meets the requirements of the discipline-specific standards, has been appointed at the time the application is submitted and at least six (6) months prior to a projected accreditation site visit. Should the dean/program director/program administrator change during the application review, the program must notify the Commission immediately and a delay of six (6) months for a projected site visit (should one have been directed) will be applied.
2. The program is sponsored by an institution that, at the time of the application, complies with the discipline-specific accreditation standards related to institutional accreditation.
3. A strategic plan/outcomes assessment process, which will regularly evaluate the degree to which the program’s stated goals and objectives are being met, is developed and documented, including the program’s expected measures for student/resident/fellow achievement and schedule for ongoing program review.
4. The long and short-term financial commitment of the institution to the program is documented and is sufficient to support the program’s stated goals and objectives during development and long-term.
5. If the program will rely on support from entities outside of the institution to comply with the Accreditation Standards or program requirements (e.g. access to clinical facility or resources for required instruction), contractual agreements are drafted and signed providing assurance that a program dependent upon the resources of a variety of institutions and/or extramural clinics and/or other entities has adequate support. The program must document that support from outside entities does not compromise its authority as the sponsor of the program.
6. Policies related to the student/resident/fellow admission process and due process procedures are developed and documented.
7. A projection of the number, qualifications, assignments and appointment dates of faculty is developed and is sufficient to support the program during development and long-term. The program must provide evidence of availability of adequate faculty and a hiring plan.
8. An explanation is included of how the curriculum was developed including who developed the curriculum and the philosophy underlying the curriculum. If curriculum materials are based on or are from an established education program, documentation that permission was granted to use these materials is provided.
9. The curriculum must be mapped for all years of the program, including documentation of all competencies that will be required in each course. Curriculum materials for each course in all years of the program must be presented and include general and specific course and instructional objectives, learning activities, evaluation instruments (including, as applicable, sample tests, quizzes, and grading criteria). All evaluation instruments for laboratory, pre-clinical, clinical, and clinical enrichment experiences are developed and included.
10. Class schedule(s) for all years noting how each class will utilize the facility are developed and provided, including a mapping of facility utilization when the program is in full operation. If the capacity of the facility does not allow all students/residents/fellows to be in laboratory, pre-clinical laboratory and/or clinic at the same time, a plan documenting how students/residents/fellows will spend laboratory, pre-clinical and/or clinical education sessions has been developed and is included.
11. As applicable, formal diagrams or blueprints of the didactic, laboratory, pre-clinical laboratory and clinical facilities, and equipment needs are developed to support the anticipated enrollment date. An equipment procurement timeline and/or construction timeline has been developed and documented to support the anticipated enrollment date.
12. As applicable, policies and procedures related to clinical operation including but not limited to ionizing radiation, infection control and hazardous material, and bloodborne and infectious diseases are developed and documented.
13. As applicable, the adequacy of the patient caseload in terms of size, variety and scope to support required clinical experiences is available and documented. The program’s patient classification system, patient recruitment system, and student/resident/fellow patient experience tracking system are developed and documented.