Oct 16, 2024  
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Accreditation


Accreditation is important for the University to be able to receive and distribute state and federal funds.  Accreditation is also important for the acceptance and transfer of college credits.  The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Operations(link to page) serves as the accreditation liaison for the University and is responsible for assuring that compliance with accreditation requirements is incorporated into planning and evaluation processes of the institution. 

Fairmont State University

Fairmont State is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, 230 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411, (800) 621-7440 x105, http://www.ncahlc.org.

Fairmont State University only reviews transferable credit from regionally accredited institutions and institutions with national accreditation that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for acceptance as credit in our academic programs. The most current listing of sanctioned accrediting bodies can be found at www.ed.gov

College of Business & Aviation

The School of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) 11520 West 119th Street, Overland Park, KS 66213, (913) 339-9356, www.acbsp.org.

College of Education, Health & Human Performance

The Teacher Education program is approved by the West Virginia Board of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The University is also a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). In addition, selected teaching specializations are nationally approved by their respective learned society and/or professional organization.

College of Science and Technology

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) professional degree program is working towards accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). 1735 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20006. (202) 783-2007 https://www.naab.org/ The state of West Virginia, as well as many other state jurisdictions, along with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) recognize degrees from institutions that have been awarded within two years of accreditation.

N.B. The NAAB only accredits the Master of Architecture degree although many of the student performance criteria are fulfilled in the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree which is not accredited by NAAB, but is a pre-professional degree. 

Statement of NAAB-Accredited Degrees

In the United States, most registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: The Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.”

Fairmont State University, Department of Architecture, Art & Design offers the following NAAB-accredited degree program:

Master of Architecture (preprofessional degree + 42 graduate credits)

NEXT ACCREDITATION VISIT: 2025

Graduate Studies

The University is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools, and the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.