Preparing to Apply

• Complete Core Documents Verification. All five Core Documents must have been successfully verified by the Alliance within the last five years for the museum to be eligible to submit an Accreditation application

• Ensure the museum meets the Accreditation Eligibility Criteria

• Read Guide to the First-Time Accreditation Process. Pay particular attention to the "Tips for Preparing for Accreditation” section

• Ensure the staff and governing authority are familiar with the Characteristics of Excellence and field-wide standards and ethics

• Preview the Accreditation Self-Study so you know what information and documents will be required

• Read Qualities of a Successful Review

• Review the costs of accreditation and ensure the necessary resources are available

• Select an Application deadline (see below) that corresponds with a review cycle that fits your museum’s schedule

• Line up someone to write your Letter of Support (see details in Instructions link below)

The Application

• February 1

• June 1

• October 1

• Application Form questions and approvals (online)

• Updated Organizational Profile (online)

• Letter of Support (submitted to the Accreditation Program directly by the writer)

The online Application is a relatively short form that collects basic demographic information about the museum, verifies eligibility and asks about preparation and why the museum seeks accreditation. The latter is the only essay question; the rest of the answers are numbers, dates, check-boxes, drop-down menus, or ye/no. 

Applicants are also required to submit a letter from a museum professional who knows the museum well and has with experience with the accreditation process (e.g., current/former director of an accredited museum, an accreditation peer reviewer). See the Application Instructions for further details.

There is no fee to submit the application.

After Submitting the Application

The Accreditation Program staff will review your application within one month. They may contact you for clarification or more information in order to evaluate the application.

If your museum’s application is approved, Accreditation Program staff will provide you with a link to the online Self-Study, assign a due date (see schedule) and give you more information on the next steps in the process.

If your museum’s application is denied, Accreditation staff will explain the reasons and you may reapply after the issues have been resolved.