Planning Accreditation Board

The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) is a non-profit professional accreditation agency jointly sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP), the American Planning Association (APA) and the APA’s professional institute the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). The Planning Accreditation Board’s mission is to ensure high quality education for future urban planners.[1] PAB accredits graduate and undergraduate planning degree programs in the United States and Canada. As of January 1, 2016, there are 86 planning programs (15 Bachelors and 71 Masters programs) in 75 North American Universities accredited by PAB. All PAB-accredited programs must meet the PAB Accreditation Standards and Criteria found on the PAB website. The policies and procedures governing accreditation are available in PAB's Policies and Procedures Manual. PAB was founded in 1984, as it was deemed necessary to assess quality and encourage excellence in higher education. Prior to this formal accreditation process, there was a recognition program in place administered by the National Education Development Committee (NEDC) of the American Institute of Planners (AIP).[2] PAB is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and is a member of the Association of Professional and Specialized Accreditors.[3] The national office of the Planning Accreditation Board is located in Chicago, IL.