Accreditation and Program Approval

Program accreditation, approval, and recognition are high-profile issues these days, but the different categories can often be confusing. On this page you'll find three separate charts to differentiate between the types of review: accreditation, licensing, and national recognition/approval. For accredited programs we have also indicated if the accrediting agency is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

• Gallaudet University Accreditation chart
• Programs Recognized by Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs) chart
  National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education's (NCATE) accreditation process has two components: Unit* review and a separate Program** review. The Unit is reviewed against the six NCATE unit standards by an NCATE team during a site visit. The Programs are reviewed by the specialized professional associations (SPAs) against the standards developed by the SPA. The SPA review and decision is included as exhibits for the NCATE unit review. This chart shows the Gallaudet University programs reviewed by SPAs.
• Related Links

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  Students completing one of the D.C. state-approved license programs may also want to see our State Licensure page

  Programs Approved for Licensing by the State Education Agency (SEA) chart
  The District of Columbia State Education Association (SEA) partners with and follows NCATE standards for our professional education programs*** in their review and approval of programs for a state license to work in schools.

Additional Accreditation Information

MSCHE

• MSCHE Accreditation
• MSCHE Reports
• MSCHE Accreditation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Academic Quality and Planning Committee (AQP)
• MSCHE Website

NCATE

• Gallaudet University Professional Education NCATE Home

* The unit is the Department of Education, plus any other entities on campus that prepares teachers and other school personnel to work in school.

**A Program is a discipline-specific component within a unit that offers courses and experiences that often lead to a recommendation for a state license to work in schools.

***All the professional education programs are considered a single entity by NCATE. It is referred to as the PEP Unit.