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Accreditation

UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION

Lewis University is accredited by, and a member of, the Higher Learning Commission.  Inquiries concerning regional accreditation should be directed to the Higher Learning Commission, 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604. By phone, (800) 621-7440 or (312) 263-0456.

PROGRAM ACCREDITATION

College of Aviation, Sciences and Technology

  • Department of Aviation programs are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): Approved Dispatcher Program, Approved Flight School, and Approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School.

  • The Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

College of Business

The College of Business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

The M.S. in Project Management is accredited by the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs (GAC).

The M.A. in Organizational Leadership Professional and Executive Coaching concentration and certificate are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP)/Level 2 training program.

College of Education and Social Sciences

  • The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following program in the Department of Psychology at Lewis University: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A., retroactive to July 14, 2019.

  • The Bachelor of Social Work Program and the Master of Social Work Program are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation.

  • The Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

  • All Teacher Preparation Programs are approved for entitlement by the Illinois State Board of Education in conjunction with the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

  • The baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master’s degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Lewis University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

    Lewis’ basic professional program is approved by the State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

  • The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree 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 www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Additionally, students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

  • The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has awarded initial accreditation to the Exercise Science program.

PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

Lewis University offers online and in person degree programs that lead to licensure/certification in the State of Illinois. Requirements for licensure and certification vary by state. 

If you are located in a state other than Illinois or plan to live in another state after you graduate, you may be required to meet additional requirements set by state licensing boards. Currently enrolled and prospective students should contact their state’s licensure board to identify licensure/certification requirements. 

 

ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION INFORMATION

Lewis University is an institutional member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA).

Lewis University participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. As a participating institution, Lewis University may offer online programming to students in other SARA member states without seeking authorization in that state. As a member of M-SARA (MHEC), Lewis University publishes information that facilitates out-of-state students seeking to enroll in online classes with us.

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is an agreement among its member states, districts and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by post-secondary institutions in a state other than the one where they reside. SARA is overseen by a national council and administered by four regional higher education compacts: MHEC, NEBHE, SREB and WICHE. The four SARA agreements of those compacts are collectively treated as a plural, the Agreements http://nc-sara.org/.

For a complete list of programs offered at Lewis in a fully online format, visithere.

Further questions about SARA can be addressed to the Office of Academic Affairs at (815)836-5639.

 

 

OTHER

 

Lewis University has voluntarily withdrawn from accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) effective August 31, 2021. We are no longer accepting students into the undergraduate athletic training program.

 

Lewis University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on May 1, 2024. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
 

Lewis University has approval to operate our Albuquerque locations from the New Mexico Higher Education Department.

Documents describing the status of Lewis University with these bodies can be found and reviewed in the Office of Academic Affairs.