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Evaluation Policies and Procedures
This manual provides information about the Commission on Dental Accreditation's accreditation policies and procedures for all institutions sponsoring dental, allied dental and advanced dental education programs. It contains background information on the Commission and its accreditation policies, as well as specific information to assist programs in attaining accreditation and in preparing for on-site reviews.
If you prefer, EPP can be sent to you
by e-mailing
the Commission on Dental Accreditation or
by calling staff at 312-440-4653.
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Complaint Policy
A complaint is defined by the Commission on Dental Accreditation as one alleging that a Commission-accredited educational program, or a program which has an application for initial accreditation pending, may not be in substantial compliance with Commission standards or required accreditation procedures.
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Electronic Submission Guidelines
Effective on January 1, 2008, all accreditation materials sent to the Commission must be done so electronically.
The Policy on Electronic Submission of Accreditation Materials states that programs will provide the Commission with an electronic version of all accreditation documents/reports and related materials. These documents may include but are not limited to self-study guides, responses to site visit/progress reports, initial accreditation applications, reports of major change, transfer of sponsorship and exhibits. The Commission will provide programs with electronic submission guidelines including accepted formats. Accreditation documents/reports and related materials must be complete and comprehensive. The Commission will assess a fee of $500 per discipline self-study document and $250 per general correspondence/report (major change, increase in enrollment, transfer of sponsorship, progress report, response to site visit report, for example) to the program for converting the document to an electronic version.
- Electronic Submission of General Correspondence and Reports | PDF file/32k
- Electronic Submission of Responses to Site Visits/Progress Reports | PDF file/32k
- Electronic Submission of Self Study Guides | PDF file/32k
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Guidelines for Reporting a Major Change
The Commission on Dental Accreditation recognizes that education
and accreditation are dynamic, not static, processes. Ongoing
review and evaluation often lead to minor changes in an educational
program. At times, however, more significant changes occur in
a program. Major changes have a direct and significant impact
on the program's potential ability to comply with the accreditation
standards. These major changes tend to occur in the areas of
finances, program administration, enrollment, curriculum and
clinical/laboratory facilities, but may also occur in other areas.
The Commission must be informed of any major change that relates
to an accreditation standard. The program must report such major
changes to the Commission in writing within thirty (30) days.
This report must document how the program will continue to meet
accreditation standards.
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Guidelines for Requesting an Increase in Enrollment
The Commission on Dental Accreditation monitors increases in enrollment. An increase in enrollment must be reported to and approved by the Commission prior to implementation. Failure to comply with the policy will jeopardize the program’s accreditation status.
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International Policies, Procedures and Fees
The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) offers fee-based consultation and accreditation services to established international predoctoral dental education programs.
A preliminary review and consultation process is involved for international programs seeking accreditation. A Joint Advisory Committee on International Accreditation (JACIA) made up of representatives of the American Dental Association (ADA) and CODA determines whether the program’s educational model has the potential to prepare graduates with competencies consistent with requirements for practice in the U.S.
Once an international program has successfully completed the preliminary steps, the JACIA can recommend that the program pursue accreditation through CODA. Both JACIA and CODA have adopted the policy that international programs will be evaluated and must comply with the same standards as all U.S. programs.
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