Accreditation and Memberships

Sacred Heart University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.)

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

In addition, several University programs have received either specialized accreditation or approval by the state of Connecticut or have been granted specialized accreditation by national professional organizations.

The Farrington College of Education and Human Development is nationally accredited by Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the national accrediting body for educator preparation programs. All educator programs of the college are approved by the State of Connecticut to prepare candidates for educator certifications.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, the master’s degree program in nursing, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791, (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org)

The baccalaureate and master's degree programs in social work are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, Commission on Accreditation (www.cswe.org/accreditation/). CSWE-COA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), as the programmatic accreditor for baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in social work in the United States and its territories.

The College of Health Professions has numerous programs individually accredited by professional organizations and is a member of the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP). Each year the college completes a report to ASAHP. Additionally, each year these accredited programs must submit an annual report to their respective accrediting bodies to maintain accreditation. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE ACOTE® is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). At the heart of the continuing accreditation process is a process of self-study. Our program submitted the Interim Accreditation report based on self-study on April 15^th, 2021. The next full accreditation review will be AY26-27. The master’s degree (M.S.) education program in Speech-Language Pathology at Sacred Heart University is accredited by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, and by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800 498 2071 or 301 296 5700. Our education program has been approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education, making graduates eligible to serve as SLPs in Connecticut public schools. The Speech-Language Pathology program at Sacred Heart is a member of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Our next accreditation will take place in Feb. 2024. The Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program is licensed by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (CTOHE), and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Sacred Heart University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the Sacred Heart University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2031. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. The Doctor of Physical Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of PT Education (CAPTE). The next CAPTE accreditation review is in the Spring of 2025. The Physical Therapy Orthopaedic Residency Program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). The next ABPTRFE accreditation review is in Spring of 2026. The Master of Public Health Program is a Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) Applicant. The initial accreditation site visit was conducted in January 2021. The Master of Science in Athletic Training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training (CAATE). Next site visit in AY 2026-2027. The program has an association membership with the Association for Athletic Training Education (AATE). The Associate of Science in Radiography program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The program’s current length of accreditation is the maximum eight (8) years. JRCERT contact information is: 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182, (312) 704-5300, mail@jrcert.org, www.jrcert.org.

The Jack Welch College of Business & Technology is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

The Associate of Science in Nursing is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

The University is approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education for the education of veterans and their eligible dependents.

Memberships

AACSB International

Academy of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA) Connecticut

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society (ASL)

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)

American Accounting Association

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education – CT (AACTE-CT)

American Association of Collegiate Schools and Programs

American Society Brewing Chemists

American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg

American College Counseling Association (ACCA)

American College Health Association (ACHA)

American College of Healthcare Executives Copyright (ACHE)

American College Personnel Association (ACPA)

American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT)

American Council on Education (ACE)

American Counseling Association (ACA)

American Educational Research Association

American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)

American Management Association (AMA)

American Mathematical Society

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

American Psychological Association

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)

Association for Community Organization and Social Administration

Association for Computing Machinery

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), student chapter

Association for North East Business Deans

Association for Play Therapy

Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW)

Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU)

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU)

Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU)

Association of College and University Housing Officers (ACUHO)

Association of College and University Unions (ACUI)

Association of College Administration Professionals (ACAP)

Association of College and University Housing Officers International

Association of College Honor Societies

Association of College Unions International (ACCUI)

Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs

Association of Conferences and Events Directors (ACED)

Association of Departments of English

Association of Governing Boards

Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry

Association for Institutional Research (AIR)

Association of International Educators

Association of Professors/Researchers in Religious Education

Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions

Association of Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA)

Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)

Association of University Programs in Health Administration (ALPHA)

Berkshire County Counselors Association (BCCA)

Beta Gamma Sigma

Brewers Association

Bridgeport Higher Education Alliance (BHEA)

Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC)

Business Council of Fairfield County

Canadian Academic Accounting Association

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)

Catholic Campus Ministry Association

Catholic Library Association

Campus Compact

Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice (CAPP-USA)

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Chi Sigma Iota (CSI)

Chief Administrators of Catholic Education

Club Management Association of America (CMAA)

College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)

College Art Association

College Athletic Business Management Association (CABMA)

College Athletic Trainers’ Society (CATS)

College Board

College Consortium for International Studies

College Entrance Examination Board and Scholarship Service Collegium

Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Programs (CAATE)

Commission on English Languages Program Accreditation (CEA)

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA)

Connecticut Association of Colleges and Universities for Teacher Education

Connecticut Association of Latino and Hispanic Education (CALAHE)

Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA)

Connecticut Brewers Guild, Inc

Connecticut Bursar Group

Connecticut Campus Compact Steering Committee

Connecticut Career Counseling Association (CCCA)

Connecticut Colleges Purchasing Group (CCPG)

Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC)

Connecticut Cooperative Education and Internship Association

Connecticut Counseling Association (CCA)

Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC)

Connecticut League for Nursing (CLN)

Connecticut School Counselor Association (CSCA)

Connecticut Nurses Association (CNA)

Connecticut Library Consortium

Connecticut Softball Collegiate/Scholastic Hall of Fame (CSCSHF)

Connecticut Speech Language Hearing Association

Connecticut Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CONNTESOL)

Connecticut Technology Council (CTC)

Consortium of Universities for Global Health

Council for Accelerated Programs (CAP)

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP)

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD)

Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Council of Connecticut Library Directors

Council of Graduate Schools

Council for Higher Education

Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)

Council on Social Work Education

East End Counselors Association (EECA)

Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE)

Eastern Association of Colleges and University Business Officers (EACUBO)

Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA)

Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (EATA)

Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)

Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA)

Educational and Institutional Cooperative Purchasing (E&I)

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA)

Entrepreneurship Institute

European American Chamber of Commerce

European Council of International Schools (ECIS)

The Executive DBA Council (EDBAC)

Fairfield Chamber of Commerce

Fairfield County Business Council

Fairfield County Library Administrators Group (FLAG)

Fairfield County Postal Customer Council (FCPCC)

Financial Planning Association (FPA)

Forum for World Affairs

Forum on Education Abroad

Global Association of Risk Managers (GARP)

Greater Bridgeport Latino Network (GBLN)

Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce

Greenwich Chamber of Commerce

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

Hispanic Advisory Council of Greater Stamford (HACGS)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Institute for European Studies/Institute for Asian Studies

Institute of International Education (IIE)

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Institute of Management Consultants USA

Intercollegiate Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Intercollegiate Bowling Association

Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)

International Association of Schools of Social Work

International Consortium of the National Council of Teachers of English

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE)

Kappa Delta Pi, an international Education Honor Society

Kiwanis Club of Bridgeport

Lilly Fellows Program (LFP)

Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities

Luxembourg American Chamber of Commerce (LACC)

Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC)

Massachusetts School Counselor Association (MASCA)

Master Brewers Association

Mathematics Association of America

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)

Metro New York College Placement Officers Association (MNYCPOA)

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Mu Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society

NAFSA: Association of International Educators

National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)

National Association of Athletics Compliance Coordinators (NAAC)

National Association of Campus Activities (NACA)

National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA)

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

National Association of College Athletic Directors

National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS)

National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

National Association of College Basketball Coaches (NABC)

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)

National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA)

National Association of Deans and Directors of Social Work

National Association for Developmental Education (NADE)

National Association of Educational Buyers New England Region (NAEB NE)

National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)

National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP)

National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU)

National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM)

National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM)

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

National Association of State Administrators & Supervisors of Private Schools (NASASPS)

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)

National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)

National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)

National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification (NATABOC)

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

National Career Development Association (NCDA)

National Catholic College Admissions Association

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

National Catholic Student Coalition

National College Honors Council

National College of Sports Medicine

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

National Collegiate Licensing Association (NCLA)

National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL)

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)

National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)

National League for Nursing (NLN)

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)

National Orientation Directors Association (NODA)

National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE)

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

New England Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NEACURH)

New England Association of College Admissions Counseling (NEACAC)

New England Association of College and University Housing Officers (NEACUHO)

New England Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (NEACRAO)

New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

New England Consortium of Clinical Educators (NECCE)

New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA)

New England Occupational Therapy Education Council (NEOTEC)

New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE)

New England Transfer Association (NETA)

New Haven Chamber of Commerce

New Jersey Association for College Admissions Counseling (NJACAC)

New York State Association of College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC)

New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA),

Northeast Association of Student Employment Administrators (NEASEA)

Northeast Business Deans Association (NEBDA)

Northeast Conference (NEC)

Northeast Conference Baseball Committee

Online Learning Consortium (OLC)

Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC)

Pennsylvania Association of College Admission Counseling (PACAC)

Phi Delta Kappa, International

Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Study

SHARE Center

Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR)

Stamford Chamber of Commerce

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM)

SVC Chapter - Theta Eta

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

The Executive DBA Council

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Tuition Exchange (TE)

United States Patent and Trademark Libraries

University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA)

University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA)

Upsilon Pi Epsilon Chapter, International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines

Western Massachusetts Counselors Association (WMCA)

Westchester Putnam Rockland Counseling Association (WPRCA)

Western Suffolk Counselors’ Association (WSCA)

The World Affairs Forum

World Criminal Justice Library Network (WCJLN)

Membership