Accreditation and Approval

City University of Seattle has been incorporated as a not for profit university in the state of Washington since 1974. The University has continuously been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (8060 165th Ave. NE, Suite 100, Redmond, WA 98052), the regional accrediting body authorized to accredit universities in the Northwest region by the U.S. Department of Education, since 1978.

City University of Seattle’s School of Management and its management degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). More information can be obtained at www.acbsp.org.

The Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS) offered by the Technology Institute is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology. ABET is a recognized accreditor in the United States by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CityU’s BSIS is the only Information Systems program accredited in Washington State and one of only 40 ABET accredited information systems programs nationally. The Technology Institute has been designated by NSA/DHS as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Assurance. The Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation (IACE) Program has validated that City University of Seattle courseware meets all of the elements of the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) National Training Standard for Information Systems Security, allowing its graduates to qualify for NSA certifications. Further, the Master of Science in Information Security, with Information Security Audit Depth Block program, was found to be in alignment with the ISACA Model Curriculum for IS Audit and Control, 3rd Edition. Graduates of this program qualify for one year work experience toward the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation.

Since 2011, City University of Seattle’s School of Management’s Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) has been accredited through the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC). The MSPM has continued with its level of commitment to quality which was acknowledged by re-accreditation through 2023. In addition, the Bachelors of Science in Project Management has also received the same honor for its first time since program conception in 2013. Degree programs that achieve GAC accreditation must demonstrate and meet the GAC’s rigorous global standards, which include an assessment of each program’s objectives and outcomes, faculty and student evaluations, onsite and online resources, annual self-evaluation, and proof of continuous improvements in the area of project management education. GAC accreditation ensures the quality of academic degree programs and their graduates in order to meet the needs of the rapidly growing field of project management. Obtaining PMI GAC accreditation is a rigorous process and CityU’s participation makes a public statement about the deep commitment of the institution and its faculty to ongoing evaluation and continuous quality improvement. GAC accreditation confirms that the scale and quality of an institution’s project management degree program conforms to a comprehensive international standard. Additionally, both programs hold the ACBSP accreditation.

The Washington State Board of Education and the Professional Educators Standards Board of the State of Washington has authorized City University of Seattle to offer a teacher certification program, as well as school counselor, principal and superintendent certification programs, which qualify its graduates for appropriate state licensures to work in the schools of the State of Washington.

City University of Seattle’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling emphases within its Master of Arts in Counseling Program has been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

In British Columbia, Canada, City University of Seattle is authorized to use the term “university” under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education, as it has undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the Minister in that Province. Its Master of Education and Master of Counselling Programs are approved by the Degree Quality Assessment Board of the Province, and its graduates qualify for licensure in their respective fields in the Province. City University of Seattle has been granted the Education Quality Assurance designation by the Minister of Advanced Education in British Columbia.

In Alberta, Canada, the Master of Education and the Master of Counselling programs are offered pursuant to the written approval of the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, having undergone a quality assessment process through the Campus Alberta Quality Council and been found to meet the criteria established by the Council and the Minister. Graduates of the Master of Counselling program are qualified to apply for professional registration as a Registered Psychologist (R. Psych.) in the Province.

Programs offered at international locations including China, The Czech Republic, Mexico, Slovakia, and Vietnam have been granted the appropriate governmental authorizations, and are conducted in conformity with the relevant educational laws.