Accreditation in the United States is a voluntary process undertaken by colleges and universities.  Being accredited means a school is recognized by an approved group of its colleagues as being compliant with a set of approved and mandated standards. These groups and their standards are approved by the Council of Higher Education (CHEA).  As a result of the standards recognized by CHEA, schools must be in operation for at least two years before they can seek accreditation.  Additionally in the case of UoNA, the state licensing body for high education (SCHEV) which evaluated UoNA and approved the institution to award degrees requires UoNA to seek accreditation.  Accordingly, it is not only our intention to become accredited but our obligation as a licensed school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In the interim period, as with many other new universities, accredited degrees can be provided to its students via dual degree agreements. UoNA has entered into a dual agreement with Girne American University (GAU), whereby a graduate of UoNA who so chooses will be awarded an accredited degree by that institution. A fee, payable directly to GAU, is charged for this accreditation procedure.

Girne American University (GAU) is one of Europe's leading comprehensive universities.  GAU is fully accredited by the European Council for Business Education (ECBE) and the International Association of Colleges for Business Education (IACBE).  The curriculum of UoNA underwent a rigorous assessment by the Girne American University academic leadership team in this process.  The result of this partnership is that when a student graduates from UoNA, he or she may also receive an equivalent accredited degree by GAU.