Entering the healthcare field? Make sure that your school of choice is accredited by one of these agencies, all of which are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, we have a overview aricle on healthcare and accreditation if you need a basic intoduction to the important concepts covered here.
The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine was established in 1982 by the Council for College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Since, the members of ACAOM have been visiting school sites to closely evaluate programs to see if they meet their high standards. This commission is the only accrediting body within the United States to govern over the field of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
The Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national accrediting agency. The members on the board of the commission search out and accredit schools that provide a high standard of acupuncture and oriental medicine education. It functions as an independent accrediting agency that looks over programs offering professional masters degrees.
There are over 50 schools with accredited or candidacy status with the Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. ACAOM's focus is on education in the medical professions that include both herbal therapies and acupuncture to promote health.
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education is commissioned by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Occupational Therapy is discipline focused on helping those with physical or mental ailments adjust to the environment around them. Programs under the umbrella of ACOTE offer both bachelor's and master's level degrees.
The council follows a strict line of procedures in the accreditation process, including campus visits, goal setting, and stringent standard requirements. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy is made up of professionals in the field. They are people who know what quality training for occupational therapists is.
There are many schools throughout the United States accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Graduating from such a program is a guarantee that your therapist credentials will be validated anywhere you go. This is a very important part of getting into any field, not only because students most likely pay big bucks to get a degree but because most students earn a degree to be able to work.
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is the national agency recognized by U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation for overseeing professional degree programs in the field of pharmacy science. ACPE was established in 1932 as an accreditor for education institutions and then in 1975 it stepped up as the leader for accrediting continuing education as well.
The Council grants accreditation to high quality schools offering a PharmD degree, or the equivalent to a PhD in pharmacy. These programs are offered through graduate schools only, so the ACPE is a programmatic accreditation body. Independent of any government body or educational institution, the council is made up of professionals from the American Council on Education, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the American Pharmacists Association, and the American Association of Colleges.
Programs throughout the United States carry the seal of approval from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. These schools are overwhelmingly the leaders in pharmaceutical training. Students considering attending a school should always make sure it meets the quality standards of the ACPE.
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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ABHES is a specialized accrediting agency, pushing the bar for high quality health training programs.
As the only health care education accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, ABHES takes responsibility to make sure their schools provide a high quality education, maintain that level, and excel above set national standards. There is an increasing demand for workers of all types in the health care industry, and the ABHES strives to meet that need with high-trained professionals.
The well respected schools under the umbrella of the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools provide a positive outlook for both the employer and the job seeker. Graduates from an institution accredited by this association have a high marketability in the job search because ABHES accreditation enables students to pass a number of credentialing exams in the health care field. The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools is also recognized by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), American Medical Technologists (AMT), Liaison Council for Certification of Surgical Technologists (LCC-ST).
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The American College of Nurse-Midwives is an accrediting association governing over schools which train future midwife nurses. The committee, which is made up of high qualified professionals in the field, is committed to upholding high quality midwifery education within higher education institutions. Schools which are given the stamp of approval must show they have qualified staff to give training and the resources to carry it out.
There are many types of degree level programs accredited through the ACNM. These programs include levels from certification to a Master's of Sciences in Nursing. The American College of Nurse-Midwives can be traced back to 1929, when it began as a women's health care organization. Since, it's provided many services, such as accreditation, continuing education programs, establishing clinical practice standards and creating liaisons with state and federal agencies.
Through the services offered, ACNM has a mission to promote the health and well-being of women and children.
American College of Nurse-Midwives is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The American Dietetic Association is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Association as a national accreditor of schools teaching the subject matter of nutrition and dietetics. CADE prides itself on making sure programs under its umbrella are both meeting its high standards and developing new strategies for improving dietetics education.
Programs accredited by the American Dietetic Association are valued as places where people can go to become professionals by starting in entry-level positions and growing into expert practitioners. Beyond the training of school, CADE also governs over the continuing education of professionals in the field; overseeing what training professionals need and get after graduation.
The goals of CADE include generating a system of accountability, where professionals can communicate and share in where they succeed and where they fall short. The commission also aims to churn the process of learning by encouraging continued education for entry-level and experienced professionals alike.
American Dietetic Association is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The American Optometric Association is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a respected provider of academic approval in the field of optometric programs granting the O.D. degree. There are many schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the AOA offering technician, degree and residency programs in the field of optometry.
The organization serves to maintain high standards in the training of optometry professionals. There are over 34,000 members of the AOA, promoting the quality of education offered through its accredited programs.
Since 1898, the AOA has been holding up and improving upon the education of optometrists, para-optometric assistants and technicians. The accrediting council is careful to set professional standards that help graduates of its programs aid patients in the best way possible. There are 23 accredited programs under the umbrella of the AOA, all providing training that meets the standards of highly qualified professionals involved in the association.
American Optometric Association is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The American Physical Therapy Association is a national accreditor of physical therapy schools, aiming to promote therapists with the critical thinking skills to move the field forward into new advancements. One major goal they are working toward is changing the physical therapist degree from a professional degree to a doctoral degree. By 2020, the APTA aims to change the system so all graduating physical therapists will be doctors of physical therapy.
The association has been in existence since 1921, when it was started as an association for women's. Since, membership has grown from 274 to over 66,000 and has allowed both men and women to become involved. Also, the association has become the major accreditor of physical therapy in the United States.
The accrediting commission is dedicated to looking over the rules and regulations in this field of education, so it can further the development of physical therapists nationwide.
American Physical Therapy Association is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is the sole provider of accreditation, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. That means that any institution that has or wishes to have an accredited program in audiology or speech and language pathology must be accredited by the ASHA. This is not to say that all programs are accredited, but if they are the stamp of approval is done by the ASHA.
The ASHA is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a valid agency of accreditation. The accrediting council looks over audiology and speech and language pathology programs offering master's and doctoral level degrees, including those done through distance education.
Certificates are issued only to graduate programs which meet the high quality standards set by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Students looking into graduate work in this field should only seriously consider programs with approval by this accrediting agency because it means the program has passed the thorough process of accreditation. Programs are awarded accreditation worth five to eight years, after which they can apply for a renewal of their certificate. Students enrolled in such an accredited program can also very easily gain a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the ASHA.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (COE) accredits such programs offering a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. The organization was formed in the last decades of the 19th century, when the formal field of veterinary medicine was just developing strong legs in the academic community. In 1909 a special committee was commissioned to grade all the schools of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada, which they found was not the most efficient use of their time.
In 1921 the association began a new system of creating the essential requirements for a school of veterinary medicine. That system stuck and now all veterinary programs are required to meet a set of educational standards in order to be considered for accreditation. Today, the Council on Education under the American Veterinary Medical Association is the only recognized accrediting agency for the field.
It is the focus of the accrediting council to make a standardized level of excellence among graduates of its programs. If graduates with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree are held to the same standards, the hope of the council is that they will act on those same philosophies throughout their professional career as well.
American Veterinary Medical Association is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Council on Chiropractic Education is a recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a specialized accrediting agency of chiropractic programs. In fact, the U.S. Secretary of Education declares CCE-COA the authority on chiropractic education. The commission is also a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
The commission works to create and improve the standards that govern degree programs in the field of chiropractic medicine. It's been looking over quality education since 1935 and continues to help the field progress with the new innovations being introduced.
Like any medical field it is especially important to look over the training of professionals that will look over peoples' health care. Chiropractic care can do some extremely amazing improvements to the livelihood of a person's life, and this is due to the high quality of training professionals in the field have undergone.
Council on Chiropractic Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is the largest accrediting association for health care programs in the United States. Fitting under its umbrella of excellence, are over 2000 health education programs. CAAHEP is a recognized accrediting agency by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the largest programmatic accreditor in the health sciences field.
Up until about ten years ago the American Medical Association took the job of accrediting allied health schools, but in 1994 the Commission on Accreditation of Allied health Education Programs was created to take over the job. Since, the CAAHEP has been responsible for accrediting health care training programs for 22 different professions.
The accreditation process for a CAAHEP programs is a rigorous one. Each program is required to report out on its status and then go through a series of on-site and off-site evaluations by members of the commission. The board of directors are the ones who make the final call as to whether or not a schools becomes accredited.
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education oversees the accreditation of degree-granting programs within the discipline of health management. Since 1943, the commission has been at the forefront of quality education in the field. It focuses on moving training to a level where new professionals can get into the field prepared to work. The health care field is booming and in great need of new, qualified professionals to lead it into the next stage of growth. CAHIIM accreditation assures that the graduates are ready to take the reign and move the field forward for the increased number of patients expected in the next decade.
Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education provides students with a program of study that offers the best sort of training available in the field. Accreditation can also assure employers are getting graduates who know the field and can hit the ground in the work force running.
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Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education was created in 1968 as an accrediting agency of graduate education in hospital administration. The agency works in conjunction with the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, the American College of Hospital Administration, the American Public Health Association, and the American Hospital Association.
CAHME came into being to meet the growing need of interest in the field of hospital management. The origins of the organization began in 1970, but in 2004 the CAHME was born into existence and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The commission is qualified to accredit master's level health care management programs in the United States and Canada.
The goal of the accrediting commission is to establish the criteria needed for master's level programs, and oversee the level of standards accepted for health care management education. The programs accredited under the umbrella of CAHME can vary and include schools of business, medicine, public health, public administration, allied health sciences, and graduate studies.
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national accrediting agency. It focuses only on the programs of nursing education, aiming to uphold quality training for the country`s next generation of nurses.
CCNE is responsible for many of the standards expected as far as the integrity of nurses and the professionalism of the work. This is a non-profit, independent organization that wants to contribute to the improvement of public health. Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of public health.
CCNE oversees nursing programs at both the bachelor`s and graduate degree levels. The accreditation council works hard to keep a high level of expectation for not only nurses, but also the employers and educational institutions involved in providing the health care industry with qualified professionals.
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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Schools or programs accredited under the umbrella of the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation must meet specific standards set by commission board. A school must have at least twenty graduates of their massage therapy program in order to consider for accreditation. The program must also have been in operation for a straight two years.
The commission also chooses to accredit schools that are legally recognized by the state which they are in as a legitimate business, they must offer post-secondary education, and they must offer a program that requires 600 hours of instruction. Programmatic accreditation is even more specified.
There are over 70 schools or programs in the United States that are accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation. Thousands of qualified graduates learn from these high quality training programs and establish themselves in the professional community. All programs and schools under the commission's umbrella must offer at least a certificate or diploma level for completion.
Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The Commission on Opticianry Accreditation is consistently working to improve the educational standards for optician training. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an approved agency to govern the fields of ophthalmology, opticianry, and optometry. Only specialized doctors, graduated from accredited professional schools can work in these fields.
The commission is formed by a team of respected professionals in the field. To determine the creditability of programs, these professionals look over the curriculum and make campus visits. Only institutions of higher education within the United States and its territories are looked over by the commission.
A degree from a COA accredited institution means a student has passed the highest recommended amount of training and can accurately work in the opticianry specialty of the health care industry. Also, the public can be assured that graduates of COA accredited programs have the training needed to make good decisions about your health care and employers can know they're hiring qualified opticians.
Commission on Opticianry Accreditation is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs was established in 1952 by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and by 1975 the organization was in charge of accreditation of schools training new professionals for the field. COA-NA is an independent organization, made up of an accrediting board of 12 councilpersons.
Accreditation by the council is limited to educational programs of nurse anesthetists, offering a post-master's certificate, or a master's or PhD degree. COA-NA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as a credible and well respected agency for setting standards in the field of nurse anesthesia training.
The council is responsible for not only setting educational standards, but also making sure policies in the field of nurse anesthesia are in line with professional standards. Institutions accredited by COA-NA must first go through a self-evaluation process and then pass the board's comb through their program. Once accredited, programs can hold that stamp of approval for one to ten years. There are about 100 schools currently accredited under the CAO-NA.
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education specializes in approving postdoctoral programs. Naturopathic Medicine is most likely one the oldest forms of medicine, but it wasn't until fairly recently that the field has been a widely accepted form of modern medicine. As a result the CNME wasn't founded until 1978. Since, however, the CNME has become recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as the leading accrediting agency of naturopathic medicine training programs.
There are still many quandaries surrounding the field of naturopathic medicine but, by forming and maintaining high quality education standards, the CNME aims to continue to move the field into mainstream practices. It oversees the education in postdoctoral programs in naturopathic medicine in the United States and Canada. These programs lead to the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D. or N.M.D.) or Doctor of Naturopathy (N.D.) degrees.
Currently there are 7 schools that are accredited or certified by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education.
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The Council on Podiatric Medical Education of the American Podiatric Medical Association works hard to provide podiatric health professionals with the tools needed to optimize the health care they provide. Within the CPME recommended curriculum are two distinct pieces that help professionals take that extra step toward excellence. One is making a standard that requires programs to provide training that's applicable to the real world. The other is to also provide continuing education opportunities that could help professionals with their current practices.
The goal for the council is to prepare medical specialists for the field by fostering a group collaboration approach to practicing medicine. To accomplish this goal, the association sponsors conferences, seminars and workshops that are aimed to help professionals share their techniques and passions for quality health care.
CPME hopes its work will not only ensure high standards in training, but will also encourage practicing podiatrists to take education in their own hands, and continue to strive to learn about new practices.
Council on Podiatric Medical Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Council on Rehabilitation on Education works with schools offering graduate programs in rehabilitation counselor education. The ultimate goal behind CORE's accreditation process is to not only provide future professionals with the tools to help people, but also to instill the skills that will help the next generation of rehabilitation counselors move the field forward.
CORE works to improve master's programs and meet the needs of both private and public schools in the process of training rehabilitation counselors. The process of accreditation is formulated to help program self-improvement, so students will be better prepared to provide services to individuals with disabilities. There are 93 CORE accredited programs in the United States. All of these accreditations are recognized as a viable source of quality education by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. The graduates of these accredited programs go out into the world to do a very important job - they dedicate their lives to helping people with disabilities.
Council on Rehabilitation Education is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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Enhancing the quality and safety of patient care is of utmost importance for the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology . The committee believes well trained professionals are the key to making their main goal attainable. JRCERT is a recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education. In fact it is the only accreditor recognized by the agency to look over the quality of education in the training programs for radiology, radiation therapy and their related fields of magnetic resonance and medical radiology.
Accreditation by JRCERT means that programs offer students the assurance they will get nationally approved training they'll be about to tout in the professional world. After graduating from an JRCERT school, professionals will be able to go to any of the 50 United States and be eligible for licensure. This is because all JRCERT accredited schools offer a uniform curriculum created by the American Society of Radiologic Technology.
Through JRCERT accreditation patients can be assured they're getting quality care, educators can be assured their programs are meeting the training needed for today's professional field, and employers can be assured they are getting highly trained and competent employees.
Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Radiologic Technology is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology sounds like it would be up to something completely over most people's head. Don't let the long name fool you. JRCNMT is the nationally recognized accrediting agency that looks over the education programs created to train nuclear medicine professionals. These are the professionals who work in a specialized part of the field of radiology. That's why the JRCNMT has a working relationship with the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, the Society of Nuclear Medicine, and the Society of Nuclear Medicine.
This accrediting agency has been a professional organization since 1969. JRCNMT is now recognized as the sole agency to accredit nuclear medicine professional training programs by the U.S Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The board members of JRCNMT create, maintain, and promote the highest standards for training in the field of nuclear medicine.
The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology only functions as a programmatic accrediting body and only accredits post-secondary programs.
The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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The Liaison Committee on Medical Education is the gatekeeper for much of the medical field. In order for any medical professional training programs to be eligible for federal grants, they must first be accredited by the LCME. Students who complete a medical training program and wish to become licensed also must graduate from a LCME accredited institution.
As the grandfather of medical professional training, it's important to advise and oversee both the established and newer, up and coming medical training institutions. The LCME is focused not only on making sure medical curricula is meeting minimum standards, but also on promoting medical training to the next level.
The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole provider of medical education leading to the M.D. degree in schools that are also accredited by regional accrediting associations. This means that a medical doctor training program must first be embedded in a top-notch university or college institution before the program is accredited. This ensures that future doctors are raised and trained in an intellectually mature community.
Liaison Committee on Medical Education is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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Midwifery is fast becoming the chosen way of going through the birthing process in the United States. Instead of going to the hospital, many women are opting to hire a midwife to help them give birth at home. Midwives are not doctors, but they are experts in assisting with child birth. The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council has the difficult job of making sure these professionals are very well trained for predictable and unpredictable child birth circumstances.
Though midwifery is an age-old tradition, the popularity of the at-home care spawned the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council in 1991. It was then that a group of experts in the field of midwifery got together to oversee training programs for future midwives. The accreditation of these programs made it possible for students to receive federal aid money while they go to school, so the council expects to see more students applying to MEAC accredited programs.
The MEAC Board of Directors is aiming to both promote the career of midwifery, and ensure and improve the education standards in the field. It also hopes to create new standards in the way women's health care is approached in the U.S. health care systems.
Midwifery Education Accreditation Council is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
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The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences is the premier agency world-wide for overseeing the quality of education in its field. It oversees the accreditation process for programs offering certifications in CG, CLS/MT, CLT/MLT, DMS, HTL, HT and Path A. These are just a few of the specific paths that can be taken to prepare a technician for lab work.
There are three review committees that take on the job of accrediting programs of laboratory science. The professionals on these committees contribute their expertise to improve and implement the standards set to make sure entry level technicians can hit the ground running in a new job.
NAACLS was established in 1973. The technicians trained by its programs have helped to achieve many new discoveries throughout the many different science specializations. Whether the discovery involves a product, or a cure for a disease, technicians play an integral role in the science laboratory.
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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There are about 1700 nurse training programs accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission . This is a specialized accrediting agency, focusing on providing the health care industry with well trained nurses. NLNAC oversees programs offering practical nursing diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and PhDs in nursing.
The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting body for all types of nursing education programs. The commission is interested in providing a non-biased, mentoring role to schools of nursing throughout the United States. NLNAC accredits programs that have met or exceeded the standards it has set forth.
Continuing education is also a big part of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission's mission. It is proud to be a part of nearly 200 programs offering professional development courses. Along with accreditation, the NLNAC stays on top of the new policies and regulations and makes sure nursing programs are meeting these guidelines.
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
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