A central focus of the Maitripa College mission since its founding in 2005 is the development of the college in accordance with regional accreditation guidelines. In fact, the first Strategic Plan for Maitripa, for 2006, was developed almost entirely around the “Standards” of Accreditation that were in place at that time according to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which govern regulations for institutions of higher education in the Pacific Northwest, where Maitripa College is located.

Generally speaking, accreditation is a voluntary process of institutional and programmatic development and recognition that ensures that a college, university, or program maintains a certain level of educational standard and meets a universal standard for quality. Although Maitripa College is confident that it adheres to all of these standards and more, institutionally we have not yet completed the complex, meticulous process of complete accreditation review, although we anticipate to dedicate significant resources towards doing so in the coming years.

Maitripa Institute received legal authority in July 2008 from the State of Oregon to offer graduate degrees in Buddhist Studies. This approval means that Maitripa formally functions as a college, and that our program courses are available for college credit. This achievement is the first step towards regional accreditation. We plan to develop into a fully-functioning accredited university in the future, and to continue the precedent of great scholarship in and practical application of the rich philosophical tradition of Tibet in America.

Maitripa College is a non-profit corporation and is authorized by the State of Oregon to offer and confer the academic degrees and certificates described herein, following a determination that state academic standards will be satisfied under OAR 583-030. Inquiries concerning the standards or school compliance may be directed to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Office of Degree Authorization, 3225 25th Street SE, Salem, OR 97302.