The U.S. Department of Education defines programmatic accreditation (also called specialized accreditation or discipline-specific accreditation) as an “accreditation that normally applies to programs, departments, or schools that are parts of an institution. The accredited unit may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small as a curriculum within a discipline. Programmatic accreditation occurs separately from institutional accreditation and is important to both students and employers as it is essential in many degrees that lead to an occupational license.”
Review Process
Units must consult with Academic Program Quality (APQ) prior to submitting initial applications, self-studies, substantial change reports, or other formal correspondence to accrediting agencies. APQ reviews these materials to ensure that the university’s mission, policies, and procedures, among other areas, are accurately and consistently represented.
APQ also schedules on-site visit meetings that require the president, provost, or dean of the College of Graduate Studies and associate vice provost of the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Resources related to APQ’s review and scheduling site visits are below.
- Resource Guide for Programmatic Accreditation: APQ’s Resource Guide for Programmatic Accreditation is produced to assist departments, schools, and colleges in preparing self-studies and drafting reports required by programmatic accrediting bodies, as well as discussing the university’s accreditation status and practices of common interest to such entities.
- Communicating with APQ: APQ’s expectations for programs initiating accreditation or undergoing an accreditation review.
- Site-Visit Planning Requirements: Planning materials including an executive summary of the program(s) under review, bios of the review team, and an itinerary of the site visit, must be submitted to APQ two weeks prior to the site visit start date. These materials will be given to the president and provost to prepare them for meetings with the review team.
Reporting Obligations
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is required to notify its institutional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and its constituents when it receives a pending or final adverse action from or has been placed on sanction by any other recognized accreditor.
Thus, it is important that entities within the university that hold programmatic accreditation, or are planning to apply for programmatic accreditation, communicate with APQ throughout the application and review processes.
- HLC Policy CRRT.D.10.010, Obligations of Membership
- HLC Policy FDCR.A.10.080, Standing With State and Other Accreditors
- HLC Policy COMM.C.10.020, Relations With Other Recognized Accrediting Agencies
- Florida Board of Governors Regulation 3.006, Accreditation
Inventories
APQ maintains inventories of UCF programs approved by the Florida Department of Education and those programs that hold or are seeking programmatic accreditation.
- Inventory and Review Schedule of UCF Programs State-Approved by Florida Department of Education: Programs that are state-approved by the Florida Department of Education.
The following academic programs at UCF hold programmatic accreditation. Please note that accrediting agencies may be recognized by the US Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
| Accrediting Agency | Recognized by USDE or CHEA | Program(s) |
|---|---|---|
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Aerospace Engineering | Neither | Aerospace Engineering (BSAE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Civil Engineering | Neither | Civil Engineering (BSCE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Computer Engineering | Neither | Computer Engineering (BSCpE) |
| accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Computer Science | Neither | Computer Science (BS) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Construction Engineering | Neither | Construction Engineering (BSConE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Electrical and Electronics Engineering | Neither | Electrical Engineering (BSEE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Environmental Engineering | Neither | Environmental Engineering (BSVE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Industrial Engineering | Neither | Industrial Engineering (BSIE) |
| accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Information Technology | Neither | Information Technology (BS) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Materials Engineering | Neither | Materials Science and Engineering (BSMSE) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Mechanical Engineering | Neither | Mechanical Engineering (BSME) |
| accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Optical Engineering | Neither | Photonic Science and Engineering (BSPSE) |
| American Chemical Society (ACS) | Neither | Chemistry (BS) Forensic Science (BS) |
| American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) | Both | Clinical Psychology (PhD) |
| Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) | CHEA | Early Childhood Development and Education (BS) Early Childhood Development Track Early Childhood Development and Education (BS) Education: Pre-K Prim (PK-3) Track w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements Elementary Education (BS) Lifelong Learning Track Elementary Education (BS) Professional Studies Track (Non-Certification) Elementary Education (BS) w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements Elementary Education (MA) w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements Elementary Education (MEd) Elementary Education (MEd) Online Track Exceptional Student Education (BS) Learning and Development Online Track Exceptional Student Education (BS) Learning and Development Track Exceptional Student Education (BS) w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements Exceptional Student Education (MEd) Exceptional Student Education (MEd) Applied Behavior Analysis Track Exceptional Student Education (MEd) Online Track Exceptional Student Education K-12 (MA) w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements K-8 Mathematics and Science Education (MEd) Reading Education (MEd) Reading Education (MEd) Online Track Secondary Education (BS) Mathematics Ed – Lifelong Learning Track Secondary Education (BS) Science Ed – Biology – Lifelong Learning Track Secondary Education (BS) Social Science Ed – Lifelong Learning Track Secondary Education (BS) English Language Arts Education w/ ESOL and Reading Endorsements Secondary Education (BS) Mathematics Education Track Secondary Education (BS) Science Education- Biology Track Secondary Education (BS) Science Education- Chemistry Track Secondary Education (BS) Science Education- Physics Track Secondary Education (BS) Social Science Education Track Secondary Education (MEd) English Language Arts Education Track Secondary Education (MEd) English Language Arts Education Online Track Secondary Education (MEd) Mathematics Education Track Secondary Education (MEd) Mathematics Education Online Track Secondary Education (MEd) Science Education Track Secondary Education (MEd) Social Science Education Track Teacher Education (BS) Art Ed – Lifelong Learning Track Teacher Education (BS) Physical Ed – Lifelong Learning Track Teacher Education (BS) Art Education (K-12) Track Teacher Education (BS) Physical Education (K-12) Track Teacher Education (BS) World Languages Education (K-12) Track Teacher Education (MAT) Art Education Track Teacher Education (MAT) English Language Arts Track w/ ESOL & Reading Endorsements Teacher Education (MAT) Mathematics Education Track Teacher Education (MAT) Middle School Mathematics Education Track Teacher Education (MAT) Middle School Science Education Track Teacher Education (MAT) Science Education- Biology Track Teacher Education (MAT) Science Education- Chemistry Track Teacher Education (MAT) Science Education- Physics Track Teacher Education (MAT) Social Science Education Track Teacher Education (MAT) World Languages Education-French Track w/ ESOL Endorsement Teacher Education (MAT) World Languages Education-Spanish Track w/ ESOL Endorsement |
| Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) | Neither | Health Services Administration (BS) |
| Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) | Neither | Accounting (BSBA, MSA) Business Administration (MBA, PhD) Business Analytics (MS) Business Economics (BSBA) Economics (BS, MS) Finance (BSBA) Financial Technology (MS) Integrated Business (BSBA) Management (BSBA, MSM) Marketing (BSBA) Real Estate (BSBA, MSRE) Sport Business Management (MSBM) |
| Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) | CHEA | Master of Athletic Training (MAT) |
| Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) | CHEA | Health Information Management (BS) Health Care Informatics (PSM) Professional Science Master’s |
| Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) | CHEA | Health Administration (MHA) |
| Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) | Both | Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) |
| Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) | USDE | Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nursing (BSN, MSN) |
| Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) | CHEA | Counselor Education (MA, MEd) Education (PhD) Counselor Education Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy (MA) |
| Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) | Both | Communication Sciences and Disorders (MA) |
| Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education (CASCE) | Neither | Kinesiology (BS) Strength and Conditioning |
| Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) | CHEA | Social Work (BSW, MSW) |
| Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) | CHEA | Forensic Science (BS) |
| Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) | Neither | Human Factors & Cognitive Psychology (PhD) |
| International Literacy Association (ILA) | Neither | Reading Education (MEd) |
| Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) | USDE | Doctor of Medicine (MD) |
| Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) | CHEA | Clinical Psychology (MA) Applied Pre-Licensure/Non-Thesis |
| National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) | CHEA | Medical Laboratory Sciences (BS) |
| National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) | Neither | Music (BA, MA) Music Education (BME) Music Performance (BM) |
| National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) | Neither | Theatre (BA, BFA, MA, MFA) |
| National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education (NCACE) | Neither | Kinesiology (BS) Sport and Athletic Coaching (formerly Sport and Exercise Science (BS) Coaching) |
| Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) | CHEA | Master of Public Administration (MPA) Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM) |
| Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) | CHEA | Urban and Regional Planning (MS) |
Contacts
-
Lauren Maroon, PhD
Academic Compliance Specialist407.823.6639 -
Hank Lewis
Associate Director for Accreditation Monitoring and Reporting407.823.1014
Please see our Institutional Accreditation webpage for information on UCF’s institutional accreditation.