Assessment, Accreditation and Program Approval Overview

The College of Education desires outstanding candidate performance, excellent professional preparation programs, and an effective way to examine and communicate our progress that is nationally recognized. Our Comprehensive Assessment System, paired with the excellent work by our faculty, helps us meet these goals.

The University of North Carolina General Administration requires that all professional education programs be nationally accredited. Our professional educator licensure programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Following our last review in 2020, the College was honored with the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement, awarded to educator preparation providers that demonstrate evidence and data trends to achieve CAEP accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement. Colleges selected for this recognition are also determined to advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning. The Cato College of Education’s annual CAEP accountability measures are published here.

Master’s and PhD in Counseling programs at UNC Charlotte are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

All programs leading to a North Carolina professional educator license are approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

UNC Charlotte is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information about the University’s accreditation, please visit the Office of Assessment and Accreditation website.

Updated November 2023