Accreditation
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a means of self-regulation and peer review adopted by members of the educational community. In the United States, there are six institutional accrediting associations in higher education, each responsible for a specific geographic area. Institutions choose to apply for accredited status. Once accredited, they agree to abide by the standards of their accrediting organization and to regulate themselves by taking responsibility for their own improvement. The federal government requires that an institution be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization in order for its students to be eligible to receive financial aid.
In addition to institutional accreditation, individual degree programs are often required to complete specialized program accreditations. For more details about the requirements and expectations for various specialized program accreditation processes, see the list below of accredited programs at LHU. After initial accreditation, institutions must undergo a thorough review and reaccreditation assuring that they continue to meet the accrediting standards and requirements according to the cycle set forth by either the institutional or specialized program accrediting body.
What is Middle States Institutional Accreditation?
On March 10, 2022, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) approved the integration of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania with and into Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania effective July 1, 2022, and noted the name change of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania to Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. These changes are documented in the Statement of Accreditation Status for Commonwealth University, which includes Lock Haven University as an additional location.
Commonwealth University is accredited by MSCHE, 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801, www.msche.org. MSCHE is a voluntary, non-governmental, institutional membership association currently serving higher education institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other geographic areas in which the Commission conducts accrediting activities. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
The Middle States accreditation review cycle and monitoring procedures outline activities and timing for self-study evaluation, on-site evaluation, mid-point peer review, and monitoring activities. Please see the LHU Middle States Reaccreditation site for more information on LHU's past accreditation efforts.
Specialized Program Accreditation at LHU
Professional degree programs at Lock Haven are accredited by the following specialized accrediting agencies.
In addition, the following programs within teacher education have been nationally recognized by the appropriate Specialty Professional Associations (SPAs).
| Program | Accrediting agency | accreditation letter |
| English | National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) | Accreditation Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education: PreK-4 | National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) | Accreditation Letter |
| Health & Physical Education | Society for Health and Physical Educators (Health Education) Society for Health and Physical Educators (Physical Education) |
Accreditation Letter |
| Mathematics | National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) | Accreditation Letter |
| Middle Level Education | Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) | Accreditation Letter |
| Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, Physics) |
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) | Accreditation Letter |
| Social Studies | National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) | Accreditation Letter |
| Special Education | Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) | Accreditation Letter |
Program Recognition
- Chemistry
American Chemical Society (ACS) - Master of Liberal Arts
Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs (AGLSP)
The University continues to pursue appropriate accreditation and recognition for additional programs.
