Accreditations, Authorizations, and Memberships

The University of Saint Mary is authorized by the Kansas State Department of Education and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools located at:

30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400

Chicago, IL 60602-2504

Ph: 800-621-7400

Fax: 312-263-6462

Email: info@hlcommission.org

Web: www.hlcommission.org

The University of Saint Mary education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE). This accreditation covers both initial and advanced educator preparation programs. CAEP is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. KSBE accreditation is required for programs leading to Kansas teacher licensure.

The University of Saint Mary has received specialized accreditation for its business and business-related programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), Olathe, Kansas. The following degree programs are accredited by the IACBE:

Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Master of Business Administration

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001; 202-887-6791. https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/Accreditation-Resources/FAQs/Accreditation-Disclosure-Statemen CCNE is a nationally recognized professional accrediting body for collegiate nursing programs.

The Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20001; 202-887-6791. https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/Accreditation-Resources/FAQs/Accreditation-Disclosure-Statemen CCNE is a nationally recognized professional accrediting body for collegiate nursing programs.

The Baccalaureate nursing program, the Master of Science Family Nurse Practitioner program, and the Post-Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner program are also approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing, Landon State Office Building, 900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 1051, Topeka, KS 66612-1230; 785-296-4929.

The Master of Science in Athletic Training program at the University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE), 6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX, 78731-3184, 512-733-9700 or toll free 844-462-2283.

The entry-level Occupational Therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org

The program must have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

The Stefani Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA, 22305-3085; 703-706-3245; email accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org If needing to contact the Stefani Doctor of Physical Therapy Program directly, please call 913-758-4398 or email DPT@stmary.edu

The University of Saint Mary Health Information Management (HIM) bachelor program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), 233 N. Michigan Avenue, 21^st Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-5800.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program has four professional tracks approved for state licensure:

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Review Board: Limited Master’s Level Psychologist; Licensed Professional Counselor; Licensed Masters Addiction Counselor
Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Licensed Professional Counselor

The Master of Arts in School Counseling is accredited by the Kansas State Board of Education (KSBE) through the KSBE review process.

The University of Saint Mary BSW Program is currently in Pre-Candidacy for Accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation. Pre-Candidacy for a baccalaureate social work program by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation indicates that it has submitted an application to be reviewed for Candidacy and had its Benchmark I approved in draft form to move forward with Candidacy review within one year. A program that has attained Pre-Candidacy has not yet been reviewed by the Commission on Accreditation or been verified to be in compliance with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Students who enter the program while it is still in Pre-Candidacy will not be recognized as attending a program in Candidacy unless the program attains Candidacy in the academic year in which those students enter. The Candidacy Process is typically a three-year process and there is no guarantee that a program in Pre-Candidacy will eventually attain Candidacy or Initial Accreditation. Students who enter programs that attain Candidacy in or before the academic year in which they begin their program of study will be retroactively recognized as having graduated from a CSWE-accredited program once the program attains Initial Accreditation. Candidacy by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation applies to all program sites and program delivery methods of an accredited program. Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program. For more information about social work accreditation, you may contact https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation

The University of Saint Mary holds membership in the American Council on Education, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Kansas Independent College Association, the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Association of College Admissions Counselors, the Council on Social Work Education, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Kansas Independent College Foundation, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

The University of Saint Mary is authorized by the Indiana Board for Proprietary Education, 101 W. Ohio Street, Suite 670, Indianapolis, IN 46204-1984.

The University of Saint Mary is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.