Alberta Public Post-Secondary Institutions

Approval of Programs at Public Post-Secondary Institutions

Before a program is eligible for designation, programs offered at public post-secondary institutions in Alberta must first be approved by the Minister as required under the Post-Secondary Learning Act and the Programs of Study Regulation.

This includes the following:

• new certificate, diploma and degree programs,
• new specializations in already-approved programs,
• changes to existing approved programs, such as:
• program suspensions or terminations,
• changes in program of study, program or specialization nomenclature, program loads and lengths.

For more details regarding the program approval process or to contact the Post-secondary Programs Branch, visit the Post-secondary Program Standards and Oversight website.

Designation Process

After a new program and/or specialization is approved, Alberta Student Aid receives an internal request to review the program and/or specialization for designation. A newly approved program and/or specialization will be assigned designation status provided the program and/or specialization meets the Standard Program Designation Requirements.

Program Designation Requirements

For Alberta public post-secondary institutions, the General Designation Requirements detailed above apply.

If a program is delivered online, additional designation requirements must be met. 

Designation of Brokered Programs at Alberta Public Post-secondary Institutions

A brokered specialization is a ministry-approved specialization from one institution that is offered at a host institution for a limited period of time. The agreement is made between two institutions, a credentialing institution (who owns the specialization) and a host institution (who temporarily offers the specialization), to deliver the specialization and to split the enrollment.

After the brokered specialization is approved by the Post-Secondary Programs branch, Alberta Student Aid receives an internal request to review the brokered program/specialization for designation status. The brokered program/specialization will be approved for designation under the host institution provided the program/specialization has met the relevant Alberta designation requirements for the specific program or institution type listed above.