Institutional Accreditation
Institutional accreditation applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of the institution’s units contributes to the achievement of its mission, goals, and strategic plan. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is UCF’s institutional accrediting body.
Faculty Qualifications
UCF is committed to employing qualified faculty members to achieve standards of excellence in teaching, research, and service. As part of UCF’s continued accreditation by SACSCOC, for each of its educational programs, the university is required to justify and document the qualifications of its faculty members.
Instructional Locations
UCF offers academic programming not only at its main Orlando campus but also at several instructional locations across Central Florida, which allows the university to fulfill its mission and strategic plan of expanding student access, broadening learning pathways, and extending UCF’s physical and digital footprints in support of business migration and population growth in Florida.
Substantive Change
Substantive change is defined as a significant modification or expansion of the nature and scope of an accredited institution as defined by federal regulations and the SACSCOC. Substantive changes can include significantly altering the length of a program, adding or closing an educational site, closing a degree or graduate certificate program, initiating courses or programs at a different credential level, and establishing joint- and dual-degree agreements.
Academic Program Review
UCF conducts in-depth reviews of each of its academic programs every seven years, in accordance with regulations established by the Florida Board of Governors. The primary purposes of these reviews are to examine the quality and productivity of academic programs at UCF and to develop recommendations leading to continuous program improvement.
Programmatic Accreditation
Programmatic accreditation applies to the evaluation of specific academic programs and occurs separately from institutional accreditation. Accreditation is important to prospective students and employers—and essential in many degrees that lead to an occupational license.
State Authorization Support
APQ partners with the Center for Distributed Learning and other units on campus to assure compliance with state authorization requirements. APQ’s main contribution to this effort includes coordinating disclosure messaging for programs with connection to state-regulated professional licensure and certification.