Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental system of self-regulation. At its core is the concept of on-going self assessment and improvement. The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Council (LAAC) typically conducts evaluations of university programs on a five-year cycle to determine compliance with its published minimum standards and the programs own stated objectives. Any program leading to a first professional degree at the bachelor’s or master’s level in Canada is eligible to apply for accreditation from LAAC.
Prior to their scheduled re-accreditation reviews, programs are required to conduct self-evaluation studies to assess how well they are meeting their stated educational goals and LAAC standards. LAAC then assigns a Visiting Evaluation Team to undertake an independent assessment and make a recommendation to the Council. The LAAC reviews the Visiting Team Report and issues a final accreditation decision. Programs are also required to submit annual reports noting all significant changes and developments for LAAC review.