Accreditation

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SACSCOC Accreditation

Institutions accredited by SACSCOC must undergo a reaffirmation process every ten years to maintain accreditation. Additionally, all campus sites, regardless of location or mode of delivery, are incorporated in the institution’s self-assessment and its determination of compliance with SACSCOC standards. In 2016, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees reaffirmed accreditation for The University of Southern Mississippi. The reaffirmation statement can be found here. SACSCOC accredits the institution and not specific degrees or programs. 

More information regarding SACSCOC accreditation and program accreditation can be found here.

The University of Southern Mississippi will submit the next reaffirmation report in Fall 2025 and host the reaffirmation on-site visit in Spring 2026.

Program Accreditation

External accreditation responsibilities at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) are housed within the Office of the Provost. Dr. Douglas Masterson, Senior Associate Provost for Institutional Success, and the Institution’s liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), supervises all external accreditation activities.

The University is responsible for accurately representing to the public its status and relationship with SACSCOC and maintaining openness in all accreditation-related activities. USM is proud of its tradition of academic excellence, as well as the outstanding professional relationships it has developed with external accreditors. Program guidelines regarding external accreditation can be found here.

IE can also help you with planning for accreditation. IHL requires that the University attempt to acquire accreditation for all of its eligible programs. If your program or emphasis area meets the necessary criteria for accreditation, IE is able to work with you on a timeline to accreditation. In fact, IE requires that programs submit a timeline to our office to keep in our archives.

A listing of external accrediting agencies can be found here.