The CAA has adopted Standards for Accreditation as necessary conditions for accreditation of eligible graduate education programs. Compliance with all standards represents the minimum requirement for accreditation, regardless of mode of delivery, including distance education. All CAA reviews and decisions, including candidacy, are based on the program’s compliance with the CAA’s Standards for Accreditation.
The CAA is pleased to announce that the 2027 Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Education Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (the "2027 Revised Standards" or "Standards") have been approved and will become effective August 1, 2027.
The 2027 Revised Standards are the product of a multi-year initiative (2023–2026) to ensure that students are prepared to enter the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology after graduating from CAA-accredited programs. Activities included in this comprehensive review and revision process were:
The CAA sincerely thanks everyone who participated in the Standards revision process.
Between March 9 and May 4, 2026, the CAA fielded a peer review survey. There were 2,498 respondents who offered comments on the survey, which resulted in 500–1,200 comments per question.
Feedback received from the survey yielded comments about the following areas:
After careful review and consideration of all comments received, the CAA voted to approve the 2027 Revised Standards at its July 2026 meeting. It is important to note that the CAA revised the proposed Standards language based on comments and data received. There were also editorial changes made from input received regarding grammar and structure; however, no other changes were made that substantially altered the intent of the proposed revisions to the Standards.
| Type of Review | Submission Date | Site Visit Conducted | Decision Date | When Programs Must Address 2027 Standards |
| Application (Initial or Reaccreditation) | February 2027 | Fall 2027 | Winter 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2017-Revised Standards. |
| Annual Report | February 2027 | N/A | Summer 2027 | Program will be evaluated under the 2017-Revised Standards. |
| Application (Initial or Reaccreditation) | August 2027 | Spring 2028 | Summer 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2027 Standards. |
| Annual Report | August 2027 | N/A | Winter 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2027 Standards. |
| Candidacy Application | January 2027 | Fall 2027 | Winter 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2017-Revised Standards. |
| Candidacy Annual Progress Report | February 2027 | N/A | Summer 2027 | Program will be evaluated under the 2017-Revised Standards. |
| Candidacy Application | July 2027 | Spring 2028 | Summer 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2027 Standards. |
| Candidacy Annual Progress Report | August 2027 | N/A | Winter 2028 | Program will be evaluated under the 2027 Standards. |
Because the 2027 Revised Standards will become effective August 1, 2027, programs submitting accreditation applications, annual reports, and annual progress reports for candidacy on or after August 1, 2027, will be evaluated under the new Standards. Programs submitting applications for candidacy on July 1, 2027, will also be evaluated under the new Standards.
The CAA has developed a side-by-side comparison [PDF] of the 2027 Revised Standards and the current 2017-Revised Standards reflecting a description of the changes. Additional guidance on the Standards, including info sessions and documentation requirements, will be forthcoming.
All accreditation reports and applications submitted after August 1, 2027, and candidacy applications submitted after July 1, 2027, must address the revisions in the Standards.
Direct questions about the implementation of the standards revisions to caareports@asha.org.
As a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the CAA is required to conduct a comprehensive review of its standards on a periodic basis and does so every 5 to 8 years. The CAA also may conduct an interim review on an as-needed basis to provide clarification or to ensure continued compliance with recognition criteria.
When revisions are identified through either a comprehensive or an interim review, the CAA initiates action to make the changes and complete that process, which includes opportunity for stakeholders to review proposed changes and offer comment.
After the last comprehensive review, the CAA implemented revised Standards for Accreditation of Graduate Education Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology on August 1, 2017.
Interim and annual reviews were conducted and revised standards were implemented on the following dates: