Licensure applies to the entire institution and all its activities. In order to be licensed, the institution must meet 11 standards and their criteria that cover all major​ institutional activities. The licensure requirements and the Standards specify a number of documents for institutions to develop and keep current for various audiences. These documents and the requirements for their contents are described in the relevant Standards.

Only after being granted licensure may an institution apply for accreditation for an academic program, which must be obtained before the institution may advertise that program and recruit and enrol students. Criteria for each of the standards determine whether the institution fulfils that standard, and each criterion must be met to achieve licensure.

Licensure signifies that the institution has a mission appropriate to higher education and possesses the governance structure, by-laws, regulations, policies and procedures, physical and financial resources, academic programs, faculty and other personnel, and quality assurance measures sufficient to accomplish its mission. Licensure is initially granted for up to seven years, after which the institution applies to renew its license, which must be done every 3,5, or 7 years. A licensed institution is required to identify its status as licensed by the Ministry in all documents and advertising and to comply with the Commission’s requirement for reporting data annually.

A list of licensed institutions can be found on this website.

The process for obtaining Licensure is outlined in the Standards.​
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