2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Accreditation and Memberships

Sacred Heart University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).  Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process.  An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.  Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

In addition, several University programs have received either specialized accreditation or approval by the state of Connecticut or have been granted specialized accreditation by national professional organizations.

Farrington College of Education and Human Development

  • Nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the national accrediting body for educator preparation programs.
  • All educator programs are approved by the State of Connecticut to prepare candidates for educator certifications.

Nursing Programs

  • Baccalaureate degree program in nursing: Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791, CCNE Website.
  • Master’s degree program in nursing: Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program: Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
  • Associate of Science in Nursing: Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326.

Social Work Programs

  • Baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in social work: Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, Commission on Accreditation (CSWE-COA), CSWE Website. Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

College of Health Professions

  • Master of Science in Occupational Therapy: Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Recognized by the US Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).  An Interim Accreditation report based on self-study was submitted on April 15, 2021. The next full accreditation review will be AY26-27.
  • Master’s degree (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology: Accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. Approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education.
  • Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies: Licensed by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education (CTOHE). Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) with Accreditation-Continued status. Next validation review: March 2031.
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy: Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Next accreditation review: Spring 2025.
  • Physical Therapy Orthopaedic Residency Program: Accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). Next accreditation review: Spring 2026.
  • Master of Public Health: Accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Next site visit: Spring 2027.
  • Master of Science in Athletic Training Education: Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Next site visit: AY 2026-2027.
  • Associate of Science in Radiography: Accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). Current accreditation length: eight (8) years. Contact: 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182, (312) 704-5300, mail@jrcert.org, JRCERT Website.

Jack Welch College of Business & Technology

  • Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

University

  • Approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education for the education of veterans and their eligible dependents.

Membership

AACSB International

Academy of Management

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Alpha Kappa Delta - International Sociology Honor Society

Alpha Phi Sigma - Criminal Justice Honor Society

Amateur Athletic Union College Hockey (AAU College Hockey)

American Academy of Audiology (AAA)

American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB)

American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT)

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)

American Accounting Association

American Art Therapy Association

American Association for Anatomy (AAA)

American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA)

American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education – CT (AACTE-CT)

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)

American Chemical Society (ACS)

American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) 

American College Health Association (ACHA)

American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) 

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

American Collegiate Retailing Association (ACRA)

American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD)

American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT)

American Council on Education (ACE)  

American Economic Association

American Educational Research Association (AERA)

American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)

American International Recruitment Council (AIRC)

American Library Association (ALA)

American Management Association (AMA)

American Marketing Association (AMA)

American Mathematical Society

American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA)

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

American Philosophical Association

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

American Psychological Association (APA)

American Public Health Association (APHA)

American Society for Nutrition (ASN)

American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) 

American Society of Criminology

American Society of Mammalogists

American Sociological Association (ASA)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

American Student Government Association (ASGA)

American Volleyball Coaches Association

Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB)

Association for Athletic Training Education (AATE)

Association for Consumer Research (ACR)

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)

Association for Evolutionary Economics

Association for Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)

Association for Play Therapy

Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE)

Association for Psychological Science (APS)

Association for Regional Representatives of Oregon and Washington (ARROW)

Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA)

Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) 

Association of Chief Academic Officers

Association of College and University Unions (ACUI)

Association of Doctoral Programs in Health Sciences (ADPHS)

Association of Golf Merchandisers

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA)

Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)

Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP)

Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN)

Association of Teacher Educators

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)

Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA)

Atlantic Hockey Association

AVIXA

Best Buddies Connecticut

Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) - Biological Honor Society

Beta Gamma Sigma - International Business Honor Society

Brewers Association 

Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC)

British Educational Leadership, Management, and Administration Society (BELMAS)

Campus Compact

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) 

Catholic Campus Ministry Association

Catholic Theological Society of America

Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH)

CFA Institute 

Club Management Association of America (CMAA)

Club Management Association of America - Connecticut Chapter (CMAACT)

Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program)

CollClubSports

College Art Association (CAA)

College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA)

College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA)

College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA)

College Sports Communicators (CSC)

College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of American (CSCAA)

Colleges of Distinction

Collegiate Information & Visitor Services Association (CIVSA)

Collegiate Irish Dance Association

Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA)

Commission on English Languages Program Accreditation (CEA)

Comparative Cognition Society (CCS)

Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates (ConnAAPA)

Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home

Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA)

Connecticut Brewers Guild, Inc

Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA)

Connecticut Bursar Group 

Connecticut Colleges Purchasing Group (CCPG)

Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC)  

Connecticut Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (CT GSCAA)

Connecticut Nurses Association (CNA) 

Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA)

Connecticut School Counselor Association (CSCA)

Connecticut Society of CPAs (CTCPA)

Connecticut Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA)

Connecticut State Chess Association

Connecticut State Golf Association (CSGA)

Connecticut Women's Golf Association (CWGA)

Consortium of Universities for Global Health 

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP)

Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)

Counsel for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CAPCSD)

Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)

Council of Graduate Schools

Council of International Schools (CIS)

Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society (DAP)

Delta Epsilon Sigma - General Scholarship in Colleges and Universities with a Catholic Tradition Honor Society

Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE)

Eastern Association of Colleges and University Business Officers (EACUBO)

Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA) 

Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)

Eastern Economic Association

Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA)

Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA)

Eastern Psychological Association (EPA)

Educational Technology Collaborative (ETC)

Educational Theatre Association

EDUCAUSE

Empire Collegiate Hockey Conference (ECHC)

EnglishUSA 

Fairfield Chamber of Commerce

Florida Regional Admissions Counselors (FRAC)

Forum on Education Abroad

Gamma Sigma Epsilon - Chemistry Honor Society

Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA)

Gerontological Society of America (GSA)

Golf Business Network (GBN)

Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England

Golf Course Superintendents of America (GCSAA)

Graduate Business Curriculum Roundtable

Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce

Greater Public

Greyson Guns Shooting Club & Range

Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE)

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery (HECAOD)

IACUC Administrations Association (IAA)

Ice Sports Industry

Independent Womens Club Hockey League

Inside Higher Ed (IHE)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

Institute of International Education (IIE)

Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA)

Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)

Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA)

International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC)

International Brain Injury Association (IBIA)

International Communication Association

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Education (ICHRIE)

International Dyslexia Association (IDA)

International Information System Security Certification Consortium, Inc (ISC2)

International Literacy Association (ILA)

International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES)

International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health (ISEMPH)

LGBT PA Caucus

Lilly Fellows Program (LFP)

LOEX

LSVT Global

MakeHaven

Mathematics Association of America (MAA)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)

Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC)

Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce

Modern Language Association (MLA) 

Musical Arts Conference

NAFSA: Association of International Educators

National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)

National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) 

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

National Association for Music Education (NAfME)

National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP)

National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD)

National Association of Athletic Ticket Sales & Operations (NAATSO)

National Association of Campus Activities (NACA)

National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU)

National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)

National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)

National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA)

National Association of Deans and Directors of Social Work (NADDSW)

National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) 

National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)

National Association of Educational Procurement - New England (NAEP-NE)

National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC)

National Association of Student Financial Administrators (NAFSA)

National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)

National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) 

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

National Club Baseball Association (NCBA)

National Club Basketball Association (NCBBA)

National Club Football Association (NCFA)

National Club Softball Association (NCSA)

National College Lacrosse League (NCLL) 

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA)

National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation

National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA)

National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC)

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR)

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)

National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)

National Federation of Collegiate Club Sports Leagues

National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA)

National Field Hockey League

National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) 

National League for Nursing (NLN)

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)

National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP)

National Orientation Directors Association (NODA)

National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)

National Press Foundation (NPF)

National Public Radio

National Retail Federation (NRF)

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

National Student Nurses Association (NSNA)

National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA)

National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)

New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)

New England Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers (NEACRAO)

New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) North Star Collective (NSC)

New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM)

New England Collegiate Volleyball League (NECVL)

New England Consortium of Clinical Educators (NECCE)

New England Consortium of Graduate Social Work Field Education Directors (NECON)

New England Golf Course Owners Association (NEGCOA)

New England Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA)

New England News Collaborative (NENC)

New England Occupational Therapy Educational Council, Inc (NEOTEC)

New England Transfer Association (NETA)

New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC)

New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA)

New England Women's Lacrosse League (NEWLL)

New York Public News Network (NYPNN)

NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation

North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)

North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM)

Northeast Collegiate Volleyball League (NECVL)

Northeast Conference (NEC)

Northeast Fencing Conference

Northeast Ice Skating Managers Association (NEISMA)

Northeast Modern Language Association (NMLA)

Northeast Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP)

Northeast Women's Volleyball Club League (NWVCL)

Online Learning Consortium (OLC)

Phi Alpha - National Social Work Honor Society

Phi Alpha Theta - National History Honor Society

Phi Sigma Iota - International Foreign Language Honor Society

Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

Pi Mu Epsilon - Honorary National Mathematics Society

Pi Sigma Alpha - National Political Science Honor Society

Pi Theta Epsilon - Specialized Honor Society for Occupational Therapy

POD Network

Population Association of America (PAA)

Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society (PHATS)

Psi Chi - International Honor Society in Psychology

Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA)

Public Radio Program Directors Association (PRPD)

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Quality Matters

Radio, Television, and Digital News Association (RTDNA)

Regional Admission Counselors of California (RACC)

Research & Education Networks Information Sharing & Analysis Center (REN-ISAC)

Rocky Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling (RMACAC)

Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)

SHRM

Sigma - Honor Society of Nursing

Sigma Iota Rho - Honor Society for International Studies

Sigma Tau Delta - International English Honor Society

Sigma Theta Tau - International Honor Society of Nursing

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Society for Neuroscience (SFN)

Society for the Teaching of Psychology

Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)

Society for the Scientific Study of Reading (SSSR)

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR)

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE)

Society of Media Professionals, Technologists and Engineers (SMPTE)

Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers (SPHEM)

Society of Research Administrators International (SRA)

Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC)

Stamford Chamber of Commerce

State Authorization Network

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA)

Super East Collegiate Hockey League (SECHL)

TESOL International Association

Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC)

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)

The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management (NAGAP)

The Association of College and University Printers (ACUP+)

The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)

The Broadway League

The College Board

The Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, Inc (CCNW)

The Connecticut Society of Radiologic Technologists, Inc (CSRT)

The Executive DBA Council (EDBAC)

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

The Ireland-US Council

The Husserl Circle

The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research

The National Catholic College Admissions Association (CCAA)

The New England Development Research Association (NEDRA)

The Obesity Society

The Reading League

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

The Society of Christian Ethics

Theta Alpha Kappa - National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology

Tuition Exchange (TE)

TurfNet

United Soccer Coaches

United States Bowling Congress (USBC)

United States Golf Association (USGA)

United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA)

United States Ice Rink Association

University Film and Video Association (UFVA)

University Risk Management & Insurance Association (URMIA)

Upsilon Pi Epsilon - International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines

US Chess Federation (US Chess)

US Equestrian

US Sailing

US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA)

USA Cheer

USA Fencing

USA Rugby

USA Weightlifting

USA Wrestling

USRowing

Women Leaders in College Sports

Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)

Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA)