Abstract

Accountability has globally expanded in higher education. This study examines the continuities and changes in problems, solutions, and incentives used to promote accountability policies for doctoral programs, through accreditation mechanisms, in Chile, between 2006 and 2020, using frame analysis with 20 documents. The findings identify two periods. The first discusses the need for quality assurance and the implementation of a system for accreditation. The second highlights the need to make the system more sophisticated to internationalize programs. Both periods emphasize the definition of standards and results. The conclusions highlight similarities and differences in accountability logics. This study could guide the critical analysis of graduate programs in other countries.