Accreditation Standards and Criteria

The ACS Division of Education is responsible for managing the accreditation program. Through the use of the ACS Accredited Education Institutes (AEI) Standards and Criteria, participating institutes and skills centers ensure the delivery of the highest quality surgical education.

There are two categories of accreditation that may be sought: Comprehensive and Focused. The requirements for learners, space, facilities, and personnel are higher for Comprehensive AEIs compared to Focused AEIs; however, both Comprehensive and Focused Education Institutes must meet rigorous standards for accreditation and undergo a robust multi-level review process. The differences between the two levels of accreditation are noted in our Standards Manual.

2021 Standards and Resources

Standards for Accredited Education Institutes

The Program for Accreditation of Education Institutes is pleased to present the third version of our Standards titled Standards for Accredited Education Institutes. The goals of the 2021 revisions were to reduce redundancy and clarify intent. This resulted in what is primarily a reorganization of the previous Standards. A crosswalk comparing the 2012 standards to the 2021 standards is available for download.

The following videos provide a high-level overview of each standard.

Implementation of the 2021 Standards

AEIs were expected to begin implementing Standards for Accredited Education Institutes (2021 Standards) in November 2021. However, AEIs will not complete an application reflecting the revised standards until they are up for renewal. In the meantime, to help AEIs become familiar with the reorganization of the standards as well as the requirements to demonstrate compliance, all programs will complete a new annual compliance report reflecting the revised standards. Visit the Resources section of your AEI Portal to view new annual compliance report.

Standards Manual Crosswalk Overview

AEI Standards – Previous Version

The AEI Program is no longer accepting applications under the 2012 Standards. A copy of the 2012 Standards is available in the Resources section of your AEI Portal solely for historical reference. If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Sormalis at edinstitutes@facs.org.

Access the Portal

Apply for Accreditation

Centers must meet all standards and intend to actively pursue accreditation for the designation level sought—Comprehensive or Focused—prior to submitting a pre-application.

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Maintaining Accreditation

During the 5-year accreditation cycle, existing Accredited Education Institutes (AEI) are required on a yearly basis to keep documentation/evidence of compliance and more.

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Accreditation Timelines

The AEI application process is organized into two annual cycles—June and December.

See Timelines

Accredited Education Institutes

View a searchable list of all of our AEIs. Use the dropdown to select Education Centers.

Not Just Standards, the Highest Standards

We ensure the highest-quality surgical education