Registration provides an institution with the opportunity to establish a formal, publicly recognised relationship with the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).

• To be eligible to submit programmes for accreditation, institutions must first seek registration by the University Council of Jamaica.
• The aim of registration is to certify that an institution meets certain minimum operating standards required for the conduct of a higher education institution in Jamaica.
• It is a first step towards the accreditation of programmes offered by an institution.
• Registration, therefore, is a pre-accreditation status.
• The criteria for registration are closely related to the criteria for accreditation since they are meant to provide registered institutions with a foundation for logical development towards accreditation.
• Accreditation is a voluntary process.