University/Program Accreditations

Institutional Accreditation

Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Sam Houston State University or visit their website www.sacscoc.org.

Program Accreditations/Recognitions

College of Business Administration

The College of Business Administration’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by AACSB International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

College of Criminal Justice

The Master of Science in Forensic Science is accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC).

College of Arts and Media

The Department of Art’s degree programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The School of Music’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

The School of Music’s Music Therapy programs are approved by the American Music Therapy Association.

College of Health Sciences

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the undergraduate level and the Dietetic Internship (DI) Program at the graduate level in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences are currently granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60606-6995. (312) 899-0040, ext. 5400. Website: www.eatright.org.

The Interior Design Program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is granted accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

The BS in Kinesiology-all-levels Teacher Certification Program-The Physical Education Teacher Education Program was awarded “National Recognition” status by the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training Degree was granted accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Doctoral Program degree in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Specialists degree in School Psychology is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to ensure high quality school psychology training and services. Any individual interested in reviewing the official document listing the accreditation, approval or licensing of Sam Houston State University, will have access to such material in the Reference Department of the Newton Gresham Library.

College of Education

The College of Education’s Educator Preparation Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). SHSU's educator preparation program stands out among the top programs in the nation. The college’s educator preparation certification programs are also accredited by the Texas Education Agency.

Many of the college’s undergraduate programs are recognized by Specialized Professional Accreditors (SPA), which indicates that the program has taken the extra steps necessary to meet rigorous standards set for the program’s specific educational field. The following teacher preparation programs have been nationally recognized by their respective SPA: Elementary Education EC-6 (Association for Childhood Education International); Middle School Education 4-8 (Association for Middle Level Education); Biology 8-12 (National Science Teachers Association); Kinesiology EC-12 (National Association of Sport and Physical Education); Mathematics 8-12 (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics); and Special Education (Council for Exceptional Children).

Many of the college’s graduate programs are also recognized by their respective Specialized Professional Accreditors. The following professional educator preparation programs have been nationally recognized by their respective SPA:  Library Science (American Association for School Librarians); Educational Diagnostician (Council for Exceptional Children); Principal (Educational Leadership Constituents Council); Superintendent (Educational Leadership Constituents Council); Reading Educator (International Literacy Association); and Instructional Technology (International Society for Technology in Education). Additionally, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A.; School Counseling, M.Ed.; and Counselor Education, Ph.D have been accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

College of Science and Engineering Technology

The American Chemical Society recognizes the Department of Chemistry as having adequate faculty, facilities, library, curriculum, and research for training professional chemists.

Sam Houston State University’s Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science has been accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, the recognized accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.  ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with a quality education.