According to the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions, “accreditation is a process of external review used by the higher education community to assure quality and spur ongoing improvement. Accrediting commissions are private, nonprofit organizations whose members are the colleges and universities themselves. The commissions and visiting teams are made up of volunteers, and one of every seven commissioners is a representative of the public. Regional accreditation has a long history and has served the U.S. higher education system for more than 100 years. It relies on the rigorous process of peer review, not governmental monitoring, to define and evaluate whether institutions meet high standards. Self-regulation preserves the autonomy and diversity of higher education, two unique characteristics of our higher education system that contribute to its quality.”
The U.S. Department of Education identifies nine functions of accreditation:
- Verifying that an institution or program meets established standards;
- Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions;
- Assisting institutions in determining the acceptability of transfer credits;
- Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investment of public and private funds;
- Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pressure;
- Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulating a general raising of standards among educational institutions;
- Involving the faculty and staff comprehensively in institutional evaluation and planning;
- Establishing criteria for professional certification and licensure and for upgrading courses offering such preparation; and
- Providing one of several considerations used as a basis for determining eligibility for Federal assistance.
Institutional Accreditation -Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Frederick Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education MSCHE, 1007 North Orange Street - 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801.
The Accreditation Status for FCC can be viewed on the MSCHE website.
The College received its initial accreditation in 1971 and has been reaccredited every ten years thereafter. The College accreditation was reaffirmed on June 23, 2016. In 2017, a new accreditation process and timeline was implemented. The accreditation timeline was moved from every 10 years to now every eight years.
The College has begun its reaccreditation process, culminating in the 2024-25 Self-Study, On-site Peer Review, and MSCHE Notice of Action. Read more here: https://www.frederick.edu/about-fcc/accreditation/self-study.aspx.
Institutional Approval to Operate
Frederick Community College is authorized by the Maryland by the Maryland Higher Education Commission MHEC to award associate degrees and certificates.
The contact information for MHEC can be found below:
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 North Liberty Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410.767.3300
View the College profile on the MHEC website.
Specialized and Programmatic Accreditation
Frederick Community College has specialized or programmatic accreditation by the following entities:
American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accredit Commission ACFEFAC
FCC’s Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts and Supervision and Culinary Skills Certificate are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accredit Commission ACFEFAC, meeting nationally recognized educational standards of excellence and competencies.
The contact information for ACFEFAC can be found below:
6816 Southpoint Parkway Suite 400
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Phone 904.484.0215
If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Elizabeth DeRose, at 301.846.2404 or by email at [email protected].
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education CAPTE
Effective April 26, 2022, the Frederick Community College PTA Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education CAPTE. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate 25 students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
The contact information for CAPTE can be found below:
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085
Phone: 703.706.3245; Email: [email protected]
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Amelia Iams, at 301.846.2644 or email [email protected].
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs CAAHEP
The Cardiovascular Technology A.A.S. program is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Graduates may apply to take the national certification examination to become a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist RCIS.
The program is operated via the Howard Community College Mid-Maryland Allied Healthcare Education Consortium.
The contact information for CAAHEP can be found below:
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs CAAHEP
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727.210.2350; Email: [email protected]
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Academic Advisor, Aliya Merhi for students whose last name starts with A-K via email at [email protected] or 301.846.2473; or Academic Advisor, Amber Tobery for students whose last name starts with L-Z via email at [email protected] or 240.629.7967.
Maryland Board of Nursing
The Associate of Science in Nursing program is approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Contact information for the Maryland Board of Nursing can be found below:
Maryland Board of Nursing
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21215
Phone: 410.585.1900
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Kyla Newbould, at 301.846.2607 or via email at [email protected].
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing ACEN
The Associate of Science in Nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
Contact information for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing can be found below:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3343 Peachtree Rd. NE, Suite 850
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404.975.5000
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Kyla Newbould, at 301.846.2607 or via email at [email protected].
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care CoARC
The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.
Contact information for the CoARC can be found below:
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, TN 37690
Phone: 817.283.2835
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Lanette Shockey, at 301.846.2516 or via email at [email protected].
Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs CAAHEP
The Associate of applied Science, Surgical Technology A.A.S. Program is accredited Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Contact information for CAAHEP can be found below:
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 - 113th St. N #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727.210.2350
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Crystal Shea, at 240.629.7959 or via email at [email protected].