Accreditation & Approval

Institutional Accreditation and Approval

Towson University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, tel. 267-284-5000. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Towson University’s accreditation was reaffirmed by MSCHE on March 10, 2022, following an extensive self-study process. Towson University has been accredited by MSCHE since 1949.

Maryland Higher Education Commission

The Maryland Higher Education Commission coordinates the growth and development of post-secondary education in Maryland. The Maryland Higher Education Commission authorizes Towson University to confer academic degrees.

Program Accreditation, Licensure/Pass Rates, and Approval

Expand the program, college, or department below to view information.

Accounting CPA Exam Pass Rates

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) accredits undergraduate and graduate programs in business and accounting. Towson University’s programs were initially accredited in 1992 and were last reaccredited in 2018.

Doctor of Audiology Praxis Exam Pass Rate Data

The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) education program in audiology at Towson University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. 

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) accredits undergraduate and graduate programs in business and accounting. Towson University’s programs were initially accredited in 1992 and were last reaccredited in 2018.

The B.S. in Computer Science and the B.S. in Computer Science with a track in Software Engineering are accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Computer Science Program Criteria.

The B.S. in Computer Science with a track in Cyber Operations is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET,  https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria, the Computer Science Program Criteria, and the Cybersecurity Program Criteria.

The National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on Accreditation accredits academic units. The Department of Dance has been accredited since 1984 and was last reaccredited in 2015.

Results of State Licensure Exams, School Psychologist Test Pass Rate, School Leaders Licensure Assessment Pass Rate, ETS Praxis Pass Rate Report

The College of Education at Towson University is accredited by the  Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation). This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs at Towson University. However, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development, relicensure or other purposes. Towson University’s programs have been accredited since 1954 and were last reaccredited in 2015.

The Maryland State Department of Education has approved programs leading to teacher licensure.

The bachelor of science and master of science programs in forensic chemistry at Towson University are accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accrediting Commission (FEPAC), American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 410 North 21st Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904, tel. 719-636-1100. Towson University’s programs have been accredited since 2011 and were last reaccredited in 2016.

The bachelor of science program in molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics at Towson University is accredited by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), 11200 Rockville Pike, Suite 302, Rockville, MD 20852-3110, tel. 240-283-6600. Towson University’s program has been accredited since 2017.

The National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation accredits academic units. The Department of Music has been accredited since 1974 and was last reaccredited in 2015.

National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses first-time pass rates

The baccalaureate degree in nursing program and the master's degree in nursing program at Towson University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington D.C. 20001, 202-887-6791.

The Maryland Board of Nursing has approved the registered nursing program.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) pass rates are provided through a hyperlink found on the department’s homepage

The entry-level occupational therapy master's degree program and the combined baccalaureate/master's occupational therapy program at Towson University are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination or attain state licensure.

National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Examination Performance — Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE)

At its September 2023 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) extended Accreditation-Probation status for the Towson University Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by Towson University until its next review in September 2025.

Probation accreditation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARC-PA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation - Provisional or Accreditation - Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.

Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn. 

Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-towson-university/."

Counseling Psychology concentration in MA Psychology program licensure preparation information and National Counselor Examination (NCE) pass rates

The Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council accredits master's degree programs. The M.A. in Psychology with a Counseling Concentration is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period of February, 2016 through February, 2020.

Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Degree Praxis Exam Pass Rates

The  master's program in speech-language pathology at Towson University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

The National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation accredits academic units. The department of theatre arts has been accredited since 2003 and was last reaccredited in 2019.


Governance

Towson University is a member of the University System of Maryland, which includes 12 public institutions, two regional centers and a system office. The system is governed by a 17- member Board of Regents, appointed by the Governor of Maryland.

State Authorization

Towson University participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This voluntary regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education provides Towson University approval to offer its distance education programs in other NC-SARA states. Contact the  for questions related to field placements.

SARA States

Membership in SARA now includes 49 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. California is the only state that has not joined SARA. About 1,800 institutions participate.

The current status of state authorizations by non-SARA states follows:

STATE APPROVAL TO OFFER ONLINE COURSES/PROGRAMS APPROVAL TO OFFER ONSITE COURSEWORK (PRACTICUM, INTERNSHIPS, INDEPENDENT STUDIES, ETC.)
California Yes Yes1

1 All supervision is provided by the site. TU faculty will not travel to California to oversee any portion of the student experience.

Contact Information for Student Complaint Processes

Academic Policies and Procedures that apply to all Towson University undergraduate students are found in the undergraduate catalog. Similarly, the Academic Policies and Procedures pertaining to Towson University graduate students are found in the graduate catalog. Guidelines to address student complaints exist in the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs and in the Office of Institutional Equity.

Students who reside in a SARA state while taking TU online courses and programs have recourse to file complaints with the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The Commission requires students to first exhaust all internal TU complaint procedures. 

If a student believes the complaint has not been resolved appropriately by TU, then a complaint to the Maryland Higher Education Commission should be filed within two years of the incident by following the procedures of the Commission.

Students who reside in non-SARA states while taking TU online courses and programs may obtain contact information for the state in which they reside through the State Higher Education Executive Officers (see “Student Complaint Process by State”).

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) policy on filing complaints about an institution of higher education can be found on its complaints webpage.

Office of Accreditation and Compliance Services

Location
AD 311
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.