Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree in nursing, master’s degree in nursing and the Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

All programs are also approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

About CCNE

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. A specialized/professional accrediting agency, CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate education programs preparing effective nurses. CCNE serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing education programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education.”

CCNE accreditation aims to accomplish the following:

• Hold nursing education programs accountable to the community of interest—the nursing profession, consumers, employers, higher education, and students and their families—and to one another by ensuring that these programs have mission statements and goals and outcomes that are appropriate for programs preparing individuals to enter the field of nursing
• Evaluate the success of a nursing education program in achieving its mission, goals, and outcomes
• Assess the extent to which a nursing education program meets accreditation standards
• Inform the public of the purposes and values of accreditation and to identify nursing education programs that meet accreditation standards
• Foster continuing improvement in nursing education programs—and thereby in professional practice

Executive Leadership Doctor of Nursing Practice

The ELDNP curriculum is based on the AACN Essentials for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, in addition to the AONE Core Competencies for Nursing Executives. The curriculum also maintains the standards and expectations set by the Council on Graduate Education for Administrative Nursing (CGEAN), the American Nurses Association, and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) Health Leadership Competency Model.

Master of Public Health

The University of San Francisco Master of Public Health Program housed in the School of Nursing and Health Professions received notice on June 25, 2014 that the Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH) has granted full accreditation status for the USF public health graduate program. Accreditation status is awarded for five years with the opportunity to renew in 2019.

The goal of CEPH is “to enhance health in human populations through organized community effort.” CEPH’s focus is the improvement of health through the assurance of professional personnel who are able to identify, prevent, and solve community health problems.

The objectives of CEPH are as follows:

• Promote quality in public health education through a continuing process of self-evaluation by the schools and programs that seek accreditation
• Assure the public that institutions offering graduate instruction in public health have been evaluated and judged to meet standards essential for the conduct of such educational programs
• Encourage—through periodic review, consultation, research, publications, and other means—improvements in the quality of education for public health

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD in Clinical Psychology)

The PsyD program is designed to meet the standards of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and the Guidelines & Principles on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). The program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and has “Observer Member” status in the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP).

• The USF PsyD program will seek American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation as soon as it is eligible. The program will make available ongoing updates regarding progress toward accreditation.
• To attain licensure in most states, graduates must complete a program approved by the Commission of Accreditation of the APA.
  Update as of November 2015: The APA recently approved an "Accreditation, on contingency" policy, which will allow our program to submit an application for accreditation one year earlier than anticipated, in Fall 2016. The APA will review applications beginning in January 2017 and notify us of whether we have been granted "Accreditation, on contingency." If our program is granted accreditation prior to Fall 2017, our first cohort and all subsequent cohorts will graduate from an APA accredited program. While every effort is being taken to ensure we will meet the APA Commission on Accreditation standards, APA requires us to inform prospective students that there is no guarantee the program will be accredited.