Accreditation
Eligible professional programs within the School of Nursing and Health Professions are accredited by the following agencies.
Nursing Programs: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and the post-graduate APRN certificate programs at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. All SONHP nursing 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:
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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
CCNE Accreditation Third-Party Comment Period Now Open
August 9th, 2024
The University of San Francisco, School of Nursing and Health Professions will host the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) from Oct. 9-11, 2024, when CCNE conducts its reaccreditation site visit for our baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and our postgraduate APRN certificate programs.
In accordance with CCNE’s procedures, the commission provides the opportunity for program constituents and other interested parties to submit, in writing, third-party comments concerning a program’s qualifications for accreditation. Third-party comments regarding programs hosting evaluations must be received by CCNE by no later than 21 days (Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024) prior to the first day of the on-site evaluation.
Third-party comments must relate to the CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (Amended 2018).
Comments are shared only with the CCNE evaluation team appointed to review the noted nursing program. Your feedback is valued and appreciated.
Only signed comments are accepted by CCNE. CCNE shares third-party comments with members of the evaluation team prior to the visit, but at no time during the review process are these comments shared with the program. During its review of the program, the evaluation team considers third-party comments that relate to the accreditation standards. All third-party comments submitted to CCNE must be written in English, consistent with CCNE's policy on Conduct of Business in English.
If you would like to submit a third-party comment, please submit to thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org.
Or, if you prefer, mail comments to:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Attn: Third-Party Comments
655 K Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
Master of Public Health: Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH)
The University of San Francisco Master of Public Health Program housed in the School of Nursing and Health Professions received notice on January 7, 2020 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 seven years through December 31, 2026.
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, in Clinical Psychology (PsyD): American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
The University of San Francisco, School of Nursing and Health Professions is pleased to announce that our Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (PsyD) has received ten years of accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), effective October 28,2023. The ten-year term is the highest level of accreditation given by the association.
APA accreditation recognizes that the program meets the rigorous standards set by the Commission on Accreditation and that students receive training from a diverse group of expert faculty within a well-resourced program committed to training students for preparation for entry into the field of health service psychology.
Learn more about why APA accreditation matters. Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
The American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Telephone: (202) 336-5979
TDD/TTY: (202) 336-6123
Fax: (202) 336-5978