Chemistry Program, with All Specializations, Receives Renewed Accreditation

The Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) has renewed its accreditation for AUC’s Bachelor of Science in chemistry, with all its specializations, for five years –– the maximum period for accreditation.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in chemistry, with specializations in the petrochemical industry, clinical chemistry and food chemistry, will receive a formal accreditation certification from CSC, in addition to a complementary one-year membership of the organization.

AUC’s undergraduate chemistry program was initially accredited by CSC from 2012 to 2017. “It is very impressive for a chemistry program to be accredited by a recognized international entity such as the Canadian Society for Chemistry,” said Hassan Azzazy, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry. “This accreditation reflects on the high quality of the chemistry program. With this accreditation, AUC’s chemistry program is now equivalent to other chemistry programs offered by CSC-accredited Canadian and international universities.”

Accreditation is the process of determining if a program or department of higher education conforms to the strictest global educational standards. Accrediting bodies such as the CSC are private, nonprofit organizations created to review higher education programs. Once accredited, institutions are guaranteed to be of a certain caliber and quality. 

To get this renewed accreditation, AUC’s Department of Chemistry underwent a rigorous process of review. The CSC looked at the department’s courses, including syllabi, textbooks and exams; faculty, with their specializations, publications, grants and awards; lab safety, infrastructure, instruments and manuals; textbooks and more; departmental staff, technical staff and teaching assistants.  The review process also included examining the objectives, outcomes and strategic plan for the chemistry program; enrollment; number of graduates; senior thesis projects; the AUC Chemistry Club’s activities; chemistry library resources; and software available to students.

“Going through the accreditation process helps us continuously improve the quality of the chemistry education offered at AUC, as per international standards,” Azzazy explained. “I am very pleased to see AUC’s Department of Chemistry being reaccredited by the prestigious CSC for another five years.”