Accreditation: CEPS Assessment & Accreditation Agencies

Accreditation

The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets or exceeds established levels of quality. Accrediting agencies determine the extent to which standards are met and publicly announce their findings. 

The College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) at the University of South Alabama is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Under CAEP’s standards, academic programs that prepare teachers and other school professionals in the P-12 setting must provide “solid evidence” that “graduates are competent and caring educators.” A “culture of evidence” (i.e., data that are collected and utilized for meaningful change) serves to ensure current and prospective students that their educational and professional training is of a high caliber and “supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.”

CAEP Accredited Programs

▼   Initial Programs
Initial Programs Degree
K6 Teacher Education BS
Physical Education (P-12) BS
Health Education (6-12) BS
PE & Health (Merged) Education BS
Special Education (6-12) BS
Secondary Education: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, General Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts BS
Alternative Elementary Education MEd
Alternative Early Childhood Education MEd
Alternative Special Education (K-6) MEd
Alternative Special Education (6-12) MEd
Alternative Secondary Education: Art, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Mathematics, ESOL, French, General Science, Spanish, German MEd
▼   Advanced Programs
Advanced Programs Degree
Elementary Education MEd
Early Childhood Education MEd
Educational Administration (School Leadership) MEd
Educational Media (Library Media) MEd
Physical Education MEd
Health Education MEd
Special Education (K-6) MEd
Special Education (6-12) MEd
Secondary Education: Art, English Language Arts, ESOL, Mathematics, General Science, Social Studies MEd
Instructional Specialist EdS

Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation

 

In compliance with CAEP's annual reporting requirements, the College's 8 Annual Reporting Measures can be found here.

 

Alabama State Department of Education logo

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), another important partner of the College of Education and Professional Studies, reviews and approves the College’s educator preparation programs to certify that the Alabama Core Teaching Standards and the Teaching Field standards have been met.  ALSDE is responsible for Educator Certification, a process ensuring “that academic requirements for certification approaches are met, background clearance requirements for professional and support staff are satisfied, and that all test requirements are met for issuance of certificates.”

 

American Psychological Association logo

At the program level, the doctoral program in Counseling and Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The master’s program in School Counseling and the master’s program in Community Mental Health Counseling are both accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).


Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs logo