Since the 1970s, a diverse higher education landscape has evolved in the Sultanate of Oman. This diversity is reflected in the type of HEIs that have been established since then (e.g. public/private; research/teaching; academic/vocational orientation; institutional classification; mature/newly established); the type of programs being offered (e.g. leading to an Omani/overseas qualification); in the ways they are governed (ministry oversight; independent); and in the differing approaches to delivering programs (face to face/blended learning). The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) is tasked with implementing an external quality assurance system that both recognises a diverse emerging higher education sector while demonstrating that the provision in this sector meets international standards. This has resulted in the development of a two-stage approach to institutional accreditation, Quality Audits followed by Standards Assessment. This paper explores the implications and challenges of developing an approach to external quality assurance that recognises and accommodates the diversity of higher education provision in Oman.

Since the 1970s, a diverse higher education landscape has evolved in the Sultanate of Oman. This diversity is reflected in the type of HEIs that have been established since then (e.g. public/private; research/teaching; academic/vocational orientation; institutional classification; mature/newly estab...