Apply for Membership

ATHEA focuses on institutional accreditation with a transnational approach in compliance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

Which Higher Education Institutions (HEI) should join ATHEA?

HEIs (Universities, Colleges, Business Schools, etc.) who would like to
strengthen their internal and external Quality Assurance System based on the ESG
HEIs who seek institutional accreditation in a specific country in the European Higher Education Area
HEIs who are degree-granting
HEIs who seek institutional accreditation
HEIs who operate in more than one country (cross-border, international, transnational)

Institutions that qualify for Institutional Membership are welcome to join by completing this form and submitting to membership@athea.org:

ATHEA Institutional Membership Application (ver. March 2023)

The three steps for accreditation are:

Institutional Membership
Candidate for Accreditation
ATHEA Accredited

VALUE PROPOSITION AND BENEFITS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEI)

ATHEA intends to be listed on the EQAR European Quality Assurance Register not later than 2026. Benefits for higher education institutions (HEI) were identified as follows:

Before ATHEA is listed on EQAR

If ATHEA’s application for registration on EQAR will be successful

Institutions benefit from a strengthened institutional quality assurance system in line with the ESG and the Bologna Process.

This includes

internal and external quality assurance,
compliance with educational frameworks based on the Dublin descriptors,
the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS),
stakeholder focus,
outcome-based performance evaluation,
and an appropriate governance system of the institution.
networking and topic-oriented collaboration (e.g. faculty and student exchange, research, publications) between institutions are additional benefits.

Taking account of the complex and changing legal framework of the European Higher Education Area and each country no guarantees can be given.

It will have to be determined on a case by case basis if the following options will take effect.

Depending on the country an HEI is operating in,

this could translate into recognition as a locally operating HEI without further national accreditation or auditing,
with full recognition of the degrees according to the European Network of Information Centres – National Academic Recognition Information Centres (ENIC/NARIC),
securing local recognition of degrees and upward mobility for students within the Bologna system.