Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does the Board have three categories of handbooks and guidelines?
2. How do I determine to which category my organization belongs??
3. What are the costs associated with an application?
4. How do the Board's degree-level standards relate to those of Ontario universities?
5. How do the Board's standards and procedures relate to those used in other Canadian provinces and in other countries?
6. Can an application be modified during the review process?
7. How long does the Board’s assessment process take?
8. When does the Applicant learn the Board's recommendation to the Minister?
9. We have Ministerial Consent to offer a degree program and want to add/update some aspects of it? Do we need to apply for consent to do this?

1. Why does the Board have three categories of handbooks and guidelines?

The Board has three sets of handbooks and submission guidelines:

1. for Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS);
2. for other public institutions; and
3. for private institutions

While there is substantial consistency among the three sets of documents, they reflect different requirements among the three categories of institutions set out in the Post-secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act, 2000 (the Act), Regulations (279/02, 280/02, 281/02) made under the Act and, in the case of colleges, policy directives from the Minister. Return to FAQs

2. How do I determine to which category my organization belongs?

Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology: These are established under the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act, 2002. No other organizations may apply in this category.

Public organizations: For the purposes of the Act and related regulations, a public organization is defined as one that receives regular and ongoing operating funds from a government for the purposes of providing postsecondary education, is governed by a body the majority of whose members are appointed by elected or government-appointed officials, or is listed in the Schedule to Ontario Regulation 279/02 made under the Act.

Private organizations: All other organizations are deemed to be private for the purposes of applying for ministerial consent. Return to FAQs

3. What are the costs associated with an application?

The application fee for each consent is $5,000, payable in the form of a certified cheque in Canadian currency to the "Minister of Finance, Ontario". Include the cheque with your application.

Before final consideration by the Board, all applications to offer degree programs undergo a review by a Quality Assessment Panel appointed by the Board. Additionally, all private organizations are subject to an organization review by an Organization Review Committee, also appointed by the Board.

The cost varies with each application, depending on the number of reviewers, the length and complexity of the review and associated travel, accommodation, meeting or communication costs and whether the applicant’s response to the quality assessment panel report requires further assessment. In general, the costs range from $9,000 to $12,000. Return to FAQs

4. How do the Board's degree-level standards relate to those of Ontario universities?

As of January 2006, the Board and the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS) and the Undergraduate Program Review Audit Committee (UPRAC), the principal assessment bodies of the Council of Ontario Universities, share a common set of degree-level standards/expectations. These standards are also incorporated in the Ontario Qualifications Framework. Return to FAQs

5. How do the Board's standards and procedures relate to those used in other Canadian provinces and in other countries?

There is substantial and increasing quality assessment and assurance activity internationally. To promote international recognition and transferability of degrees, the bodies responsible for quality assurance, including PEQAB, take care to use common categories, descriptions, and procedures where possible. The Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) endorsed a common framework for degrees in Canada and a common set of standards and principles for the review of new degrees and new degree-granting institutions. Information about the pan-Canadian framework and standards can be accessed on the CMECweb site. Return to FAQs

6. Can an application be modified during the review process?

Yes. During the course of an assessment, an applicant may modify its application to ensure that it meets the Board’s standards and benchmarks. The applications referred to the Board by the Minister are posted on the Board's web site. They are the original applications and consequently may not be the final version recommended by the Board and granted consent by the Minister. Return to FAQs

7. How long will the Board’s assessment process take?

The length of the Board’s review will vary depending on the complexity and completeness of the application. Its review of an application from a public organization is generally completed within about 6 months. Its review of an application from a private provider, which requires the assessment of both the organization and the proposed program, is generally completed within about 10 months. Return to FAQs

8. When does the Applicant learn of the Board's recommendation to the Minister on an application?

When the Minister communicates his or her decision on consent to the applicant, both the Minister's decision and the Board’s recommendation are posted on the Board's web site. Return to FAQs

9. We have Ministerial Consent to offer a degree program and want to add/update some aspects of it. Do we need to apply for consent to do this?

For answers to questions about whether or not Ministerial Consent is required, contact the Private Institutions Unit the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Mailing Address: Mowat Block, 900 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1L2 Canada. Return to FAQs