Eight undergraduate programs of Miriam College Higher Education Unit were recently granted Level IV Accredited Status by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) for having satisfactorily met the standards and fulfilled all the requirements of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). These academic programs are: Business Administration, Communication, Early Childhood Education, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Planning & Management, International Studies, BA Psychology, and BS Psychology.

Level IV is the highest level of accredited status that is given to tertiary education programs as stipulated in the Memorandum Order Number 1 Series of 2005 of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Such status is granted to academic programs that have shown excellent outcomes in the areas of research, teaching and learning, community service, and international linkages and consortia. The validity of the accreditation status is until May 2022.
 
Among the benefits enjoyed by higher education institutions that have been granted such status are:

• Full autonomy for the program for the duration of its Level IV accredited status
• Authority to offer new courses (graduate or undergraduate) allied to existing Level IV courses, open learning/distance education and extension classes without the need for prior approval by CHED provided that the concerned CHED Regional Office is duly informed
• Authority to revise the curriculum without CHED approval provided the CHED and Professional Regulation Commission minimum requirements and guidelines are complied with
• Authority to graduate students from accredited courses without prior approval of CHED and without need for Special Orders
• Priority in the awards of grants/subsidies or funding assistance from CHED-Higher Education Development Fund (HEDF) for scholarships and faculty development, facilities improvement and other development programs.

This recent certification received by Miriam College from FAAP and PAASCU strengthens its academic standing as one of the few educational institutions in the country that have been granted Full Autonomous Status by CHED. Such grant is one of the highest recognitions a private higher education institution can receive from CHED owing to its exceptional institutional quality and enhancement through its quality assurance systems and excellent instructional, research and extension program outcomes. Currently, Miriam College is also recognized as CHED Center of Excellence in Teacher Education, Business Administration and Entrepreneurship and as CHED Center of Development in Communication. Truly, the grant of Level IV accredited status to the institution is a testament to its continuous pursuit for quality education and academic excellence.

Quality Assurance Office, April 2, 2020