Accreditation
The U.S. Department of Education formally recognizes accrediting commissions that meet all federal standards. Further, the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) extends recognition to accrediting bodies and their institutions that meet established quality standards. Generally, accrediting bodies fall into three major categories: national, regional, and specialized/professional.
Accreditation within higher education is a voluntary, nongovernmental process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet certain published standards of academic and administrative quality. The purpose of accreditation is to assure the public as to the quality of an institution and its commitment to high standards through a system of continuous improvement.
APUS can not guarantee that its credit will be accepted as transfer credit into another university. Accreditation does not provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, as acceptance of credit is always the prerogative of the receiving institution.
Regional Accreditation
American Public University System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org, 312-263-0456). The Higher Learning Commission accredits degree-granting institutions located in a 19-state region, including West Virginia. The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA. View the APUS 2011 HLC Reaccreditation letter.
As an accredited institution, APUS is eligible to participate in federal educational entitlement programs such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill, and many corporate education assistance programs.
Credits and degrees earned through APUS may be recognized for promotion, assignment, and position qualification standards within the military and federal government. For students transferring to other colleges, APUS credit is considered transfer eligible based on our accreditation, but it is up to each receiving school whether or not they will accept individual transfer credit for courses completed at APUS. APUS cannot guarantee that another school will accept our credit, as all transfer credit decisions are made by the receiving school. In addition, APUS has been granted approval by the Department of Education to participate in Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs.
For questions, please contact accreditation@apus.edu.
Further information on recognition policies and standards may be found on the following web sites:
- Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 955-6126
- The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 263-0456
Specialized Accreditation
In addition to institutional accreditation, APUS has obtained programmatic accreditation through appropriate governing organizations for specific academic programs. These specialized accreditations require a significant amount of self-study and presentation of evidence to satisfy the demanding requirements of each accrediting organization, and collectively demonstrate that APUS is focused on academic excellence and providing the best possible educational experience for its students. As a result, APUS has enhanced the curriculum for certain programs by implementing standards from an external accrediting organization for specific disciplines or fields of study.
| Program | Accreditation/Certification Authority |
|---|---|
| Business School, Associate of Arts in Business Administration, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, Master of Business Administration | Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) http://www.acbsp.org |
| Emergency and Disaster Management | Foundation For Higher Education Accreditation (FFHEA) http://www.ffhea.org/ |
Professional Recognition and Affiliation
| Program | Professional Recognition/Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Management | Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) http://www.shrm.org |
| Sports and Health Sciences | American Sport Education Program (ASEP) http://www.asep.com/ |
| Child and Family Development | National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) http://www.ncfr.org |
| School of Education, M.Ed. Teaching, M.Ed. Administration and Supervision, M.Ed. Guidance and Counseling | WV state approved educator certification programs (WVDOE) http://wvde.state.wv.us/ |
For further information on accreditation, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at accreditation@apus.edu, Telephone: 304-724-3778, Fax 304-724-3779.
FAQs
What is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)?
The Higher Learning Commission is the arm of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that is responsible for the regional accreditation of colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning.
What is the NCA?
The North Central Association is one of six regional associations that accredit schools and colleges in the United States. Although most of the colleges and universities the NCA Higher Learning Commission accredits are in the upper Midwest, its geographical range extends from West Virginia to Arizona.
What does the HLC look for when it accredits colleges and universities?
The HLC’s current set of criteria for evaluation are:
- Mission and Integrity - The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
- Preparing for the Future - The organization's allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.
- Student Learning and Effective Teaching - The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
- Acquisition, Discovery and Application of Knowledge - The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways consistent with its mission.
- Engagement and Service - As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in ways valued by the institution and the constituents.
Within each of the criteria, there are a minimum of four core components to add additional focus to the criteria. Components of these criteria and examples of evidence are available at: www.ncahlc.org/information-for-institutions/criteria-for-accreditation.html.
Roughly every five years the Higher Learning Commission is obliged to review its Criteria for Accreditation. Revised criteria will go into effect in January 2013.