FCC Accreditation
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 an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of
Education. The College received its initial accreditation in 1971. Frederick Community
College accreditation status is Accreditation Reaffirmed. The Commission’s most recent
action on the institution’s accreditation status was on June 26, 2025 where the Commission
moved to reaffirm accreditation. The Accreditation Status for FCC can be viewed on
the MSCHE website, which includes the Statement of Accreditation Status (SAS).
The College completed its most recent reaffirmation process with the conclusion of
its 2024-25 Self-Study, On-site Peer Review, and Notice of Action.
MSCHE accepts comments from all interested individuals about the quality of an institution
that is approaching a scheduled accreditation review. Member institutions in evaluation (Self-Study) can be found at the Member Institutions in Evaluation. Third-party comments
are intended to be an opportunity for individuals to offer more generalized information
that is not necessarily specific to individual circumstances. To submit a third-party
comment, please see the Third-Party Comment policies. Documentation is not required; however, if you choose to attach documents, all documentation
must be submitted in English and in PDF format. For further information, consult the
Commission’s Third-Party Comments for Institutions Under Review Policy and Procedures.
The contact information for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is as follows:
1007 North Orange Street - 4th Floor, MB #166,Wilmington, DE 19801
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) provides opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and members of the public to submit complaints.
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. FCC is one of 16 public community colleges in the state of Maryland.
The contact information for MHEC can be found below:
Maryland Higher Education Commission
6 North Liberty Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410.767.3300
Information on filing a complaint to the Maryland Higher Education Commission can be found on their website.
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, Culinary
Skills Certificate, Associate of Applied Science in Baking & Pastry Arts, and Baking
& Pastry Arts Certificate are accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education
Foundation Accredit Commission ACFEFAC, meeting nationally recognized educational
standards of excellence and competencies.
Year of Next Review: Expires 12/31/2028
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 30, 2024, the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Frederick Community
College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
(CAPTE)
Year of Next Review: Before 06/30/2029
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].
Council for the Accreditation of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Education (CAEMHSE)
FCC’s Associate of Applied Science Degree in Campus Police and Public Safety’s areas of concentration in Emergency Management and National Security are accredited by CAEMHSE, meeting nationally recognized educational standards of excellence and competencies in these disciplines.
Year of Next Review: Through 2027-28 Academic Year
Contact information for CAEMHSE:
Email: [email protected]
To contact the program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Didi Culp, at 240.629.7952 or [email protected].
Maryland Board of Nursing
The Associate of Science in Nursing and Certified Nursing Assistant Training programs at Frederick Community College are approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Year of Next Review for the Associate of Science in Nursing Program: 2034
Year of Next Reaccreditation for the Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program: 2028
Maryland Board of Nursing
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215
Phone: 410.585.1900
Website: Maryland Board of Nursing
FCC Program Contact
Stephanie Harrison, MSN, RN, PCCN
Director of Nursing Education
Phone: 301.846.2607
Email: [email protected]
Mary Abrecht MSN-Ed, RN, PCCN
Certified Nursing Assistant Instructional Specialist
Phone: 240.629.7904
Email: [email protected]
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing ACEN
The Associate Degree Nursing program at Frederick Community College, located at 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702, is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Current Accreditation Status: Accredited
Most Recent Accreditation Action: September 3, 2026
Most Recent Site Visit: March 17–19, 2026
Next Scheduled Accreditation Visit: Spring 2034
The official accreditation status and most recent action are available through the ACEN's public accreditation record.
View Frederick Community College's Official ACEN Accreditation Record
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404.975.5000
Website: www.acenursing.org
FCC Program Contact
Stephanie Harrison, MSN, RN, PCCN
Director of Nursing Education
Phone: 301.846.2607
Email: [email protected]
PUBLIC NOTICE OF UPCOMING ACCREDITATION REVIEW VISIT BY THE ACEN
Frederick Community College wishes to announce that it will host a site visit for continuing accreditation of its Associate Degree Nursing program by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
You are invited to meet with the site visit team and share your comments about the program in person at a public meeting scheduled at 4:00pm on Wednesday, March 18th, in Linganore Hall, L116 located at 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702
Written comments are also welcome and should be submitted to the ACEN via email at [email protected] or to the ACEN office:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
Contact Number: 404.975.5000
www.acenursing.org
You must identify the full name of the program in your comments. All written comments should be received by the ACEN by March 2, 2026.
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.
Year of Next Review: Before 07/31/2032
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, Jessica Wirtz, at 301.846.2528 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].
Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners
The Dental Assisting and Oral Radiography courses are approved by the Maryland State
Board of Dental Examiners.
Year of Next Review: 2028
Contact information for the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners can be found below:
Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners
health.maryland.gov/dental/
Phone: 410.402.8500
If needing to contact the FCC program/institution directly, please contact the Program Manager, Kelanie Yordy, at 240.629.7971 or via email at [email protected].