Dental Council and ADC publish joint revised accreditation standards
The Dental Council (New Zealand) (DC(NZ)) and Australian Dental Council (ADC) have published the revised accreditation standards following a joint review and stakeholder consultation. The standards take effect from 1 January 2027.
Most updates to the accreditation standards are minor and aim to improve clarity, consistency, and ease of use for education providers and assessors. There are also several targeted changes to strengthen key areas of accreditation.
Key changes to the standards
Domain 2: Academic governance and quality assurance
Criterion (2.4) on student admissions and progression requirements was added to Domain 2:Academic governance and quality assurance. This criterion was previously under Domain 4: The student experience. The shift now brings admissions processes more clearly into academic oversight and strengthens the role of programme staff in student selection and admission.
Domain 5: New criteria to support assessment quality within accredited programmes
Two new criteria have been added to Domain 5 to support consistent and high-quality assessment practices.
5.1 Assessments conform to the principles of validity, reliability and fairness. This criterion addresses concerns about teaching staff expertise and calibration, inconsistencies in assessment application, and the overall quality and reliability of assessments.
5.2 Mechanisms are in place to recognise and respond to emerging developments and risks in assessment. This criterion ensures the Standards remain responsive to evolving developments and risks in educational assessment, including those arising from rapid technological change such as artificial intelligence.
Domain 6: Cultural competence
In New Zealand, this domain remains unchanged and will be revisited as part of the broader cultural standards review once the outcome of the HPCA Act review is known. For the Australian programmes, Domain 6 has been renamed Cultural responsiveness.
Implementation
To support implementation, DC(NZ) and ADC have developed guidance notes in response to stakeholder feedback. These include an overview of each domain, explanations of the criteria, and examples of evidence. You can read the consultation submissions here.
The accreditation standards remain the outcomes that the programme must meet, and the thresholds that the programme will be assessed against.