Edison World College

The World Certification Institute (WCI) is a global accrediting and certifying body that confers professional credentials on qualified individuals and accredits eligible courses offered by organizations such as universities, colleges, schools, professional institutions, and training companies.

Following the issuance of a Charter by the WCI Council in 2013, Edison World College was established to recognize advanced professional achievement and confer business-related research degrees through the AREL Program.

AREL refers to Action Research and Experiential Learning and provides a structured framework for recognizing substantive professional experience, applied research, and experiential learning acquired through business and professional practice.

Edison World College is also authorized to consider suitable candidates nominated by WCI Accredited Institutions for the conferment of research professorships and research degrees under the AREL Programme.

The Adjudication Board

Applications for research professorships and research degrees under the AREL Programme are reviewed and adjudicated by the Edison World College Adjudication Board.

The Adjudication Board comprises eminent professors appointed from the Council of the World Certification Institute. Its role is to review the candidate’s credentials, professional standing, research contributions, experiential learning, and supporting documentation before determining whether the applicable requirements for conferment have been satisfied.

Criteria for Conferment of Research Professorships

Candidates seeking a research professorship must satisfy the following requirements:

1. WCI Credential Requirement
   The candidate must have attained WCI’s highest professional credential, the World Certified Master Professional (WCMP).

2. WCI Fellowship Requirement
   The candidate must have been admitted to fellowship with WCI.

   • An Associate Fellow may be considered for an Associate Research Professorship.
   • A Full Fellow may be considered for a Full Research Professorship.

3. Requirement for Full Professorship
   A candidate seeking a Full Research Professorship must have previously held an appointment as a full professor at an accredited institution. Candidates who otherwise satisfy the requirements but do not meet this condition may initially be conferred an Associate Research Professorship and may subsequently be considered for progression to Full Research Professorship after a minimum period of three years, subject to the applicable requirements.

4. Nomination by a WCI Accredited Institution
   The candidature must be formally submitted by a WCI Accredited Institution.

   The nominating institution must provide documentary evidence of the candidate’s research contribution within a specialized discipline. Such evidence may include a professional publication, research article, conference paper, seminar presentation, or other recognized form of scholarly or applied research output. Publication in a refereed academic journal is not mandatory.

5. Adjudication and Approval
   All supporting documents are reviewed by the Adjudication Board before a decision on conferment is made. An Adjudication Fee of US$1,000 is payable for the assessment process.

6. Post-Conferment Representation
   Upon successful conferment, the recipient may present the distinction in an approved format, for example:

   Professor Christopher Barrett, FWCI, WCMP

   -OR-

   Christopher Barrett, FWCI, WCMP
   Professor of Management Research
   Edison World College

Criteria for Conferment of Research Degrees under the AREL Program

Candidates seeking the conferment of a research degree through the AREL Program must satisfy the following requirements:

1. WCI Credential Requirement
   The candidate must have attained an appropriate professional credential from the World Certification Institute.

2. WCI Fellowship Requirement
   The candidate must have been admitted to WCI Fellowship at the applicable level.

3. Nomination by a WCI Accredited Institution
   The candidature must be formally submitted by a WCI Accredited Institution.

   The nominating institution must provide documentary evidence demonstrating the candidate’s achievements in Action Research and Experiential Learning, particularly across the following areas:

   • Business
   • Profession
   • Community
   • Society

   The evidence submitted should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to translate professional experience, applied learning, and action-based inquiry into meaningful outcomes and contributions.

Conferment Document

A formal Citation Document must be prepared in support of the candidature.

The Citation Document should summarize the candidate’s principal achievements and contributions in the areas of Business, Profession, Community, and Society, and should demonstrate the scope, significance, and impact of the candidate’s experiential learning and action research.

The main body of the Citation Document must not exceed 1,000 words, excluding supporting appendices and documentary evidence.

All submissions are subject to review and approval by the Edison World College Adjudication Board before any research degree or research professorship is conferred.

For more information, please email EWC@worldcertification.org