Recognition & Accreditation

Our 10-year reaccreditation by the New England Commission on Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE), formerly the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), in 2012 demonstrates that we meet or exceed its criteria for institutional quality. The chair of NECHE’s Commission on Institutions of Higher Education observed: “We are heartened to learn of Worcester State University’s commitment to student success as evidenced by the recent establishment of the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, expanded academic governance structures, plans to increase full-time faculty by 15 over the next three years, and an increase of retention rates to an average of 60% over the last four years, up from 37% five years ago.”

We received the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching’s elective Community Engagement Classification in 2015, making us 1 of 25 colleges and universities in Massachusetts with this recognition. According to the Carnegie Foundation, this “is an evidence-based documentation of institutional practice to be used in a process of self-assessment and quality improvement.” Worcester State was selected based on our voluntary submission of “data and documentation of important aspects of our mission, identity, and commitments” to community engagement.

Our baccalaureate and master’s degree nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. This affirms that the programs meet rigorous academic and professional standards, and are of the highest caliber and continually improving students’ outcomes. It recognizes us for effectively preparing nurses to make an impact in their profession

Our Education Department’s teacher-training program is accredited by Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The program has met CAEP’s rigorous standards for preparing competent K-12 classroom teachers.

The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited 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 https://acoteonline.org/. The Program received a 10-year reaccreditation in 2010-2011 and the next visit is scheduled for Spring 2021.

Our School Psychology graduate program, which is offered by our Education Department, is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists Accreditation Board. This recognition is an important indicator of quality graduate education in school psychology, comprehensive content, and extensive and properly supervised field experiences and internships, as judged by trained national reviewers.