Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosures
Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosures
To see the list of programs leading to licensure organized by college, please click on the button below.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING AND CERTIFICATION BOARDS BY USM COLLEGE
For information about NC-SARA and state authorization, see the SARA web page
For information about different avenues for filing complaints related to USM enrollment, see the Complaints Web Page
For frequently asked questions, see the Frequently Asked Questions page
For a list of professional licensing boards created by national organizations, check the following resources:
Council on Licensure Enforcement and Regulation webpage
NC-SARA Licensure Directory for Counseling, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work and Teacher Education
US Department of Education Professional Licensure Page
Background
The University of Southern Mississippi offers several programs leading to professional licensure or certification within the State of Mississippi. States vary in what professions they require to be licensed and how licensure functions. Some states require an individual to graduate from an approved program while others require an individual to meet certification requirements of a national organization. A specific amount of training can also be required as well as passage of an exam based on a state requisite exam score. For purposes of the disclosures, the term professional licensure will be used to cover both licensure and certification which both require disclosures per §34 CFR 668.43 (a)(5)(v) and NC-SARA Rule 7.2.1.
Licensure is a state-specific determination made by state professional licensing boards based on state-determined criteria.
The rules applicable to a licensure application are the rules and regulations that are in place at the time the student applies for licensure.
Many careers require you to meet specific licensing, training as well as other requirements.
State Authority. Licensure requires are governed by the states, not by the Federal government, and the criteria for licensure vary significantly from state to state.
Regulatory State Boards or National Entities. Each state has professional licensing boards in place to regulate the criteria that need to be met to qualify for licensure within a state. Some professions are regulated by profession specific national entities.
Approved to Lead to Licensure in Mississippi
The programs at The University of Southern Mississippi have been designed to meet relevant requirements for programs in the State of Mississippi.
Types of Licensure Requirements
Licensure requirements may include
Typically, state licensing boards will have added requirements including among other requirements, a criminal background check, specialized courses, certain age of applicant, experience, citizenship requirements, added fees, and specifically the following types of requirements based on the field in one is being licensed:
Other countries and their licensure boards and licensing and certification entities may have specific requirements for a program to lead to professional licensure or certification. It is the responsibility of the students to determine whether or not completion of their program of choice will fulfill any educational requirements for professional licensure in their country. Keep in mind that additional requirements for licensure unrelated to education may apply, and students should reach out to the appropriate licensing agency/board within their country to obtain assistance in making a final determination.
Applicable Licensing Requirements
Licensure rules can change at any time. Although a program may meet the educational licensure or certification requirements originally, requirements may and often do change. Therefore, the student should check with the licensure board or certifying entity throughout their enrollment to ensure that their program still meets the requirements.
At the time that the student applies for licensure or certification, the licensure board or certifying entity will apply the rules that are in place at the time they are processing the licensure or certification application.
Relocating while enrolled could adversely impact if a student can continue in the program, meet state eligibility requirements, and/or obtain federal financial aid funding. If you are considering relocating, please check with your program prior to doing so.
Students intending to practice a licensed profession outside of Mississippi who plan to enroll in any University of Southern Mississippi education course(s), degree and/or certificate program leading to advanced licensure need to understand that the state that they are going to be working in will likely have specific requirements in terms of additional courses that are needed to become licensed in their state. We encourage students to communicate with the appropriate licensing agency to seek information and additional guidance prior to and throughout their collegiate journey as indicated below:
Initial Communication with Licensing Entity
Prior to applying to a program as well as prior to being accepted to a program, students are responsible for verifying that the program meets all requirements for licensure/certification once they complete the program. This can be done by reaching out to the professional licensing board or licensing/certification entity overseeing the profession.
USM has created a list of such entities and divided them under the college that oversees a particular program:
College of Business and Economic Development
College of Education and Human Sciences
College of Nursing and Health Professions
Ongoing Communications with Licensing Entity
Requirements for licensing and certification may change over time. To determine if a program will lead to licensure/certification in a state, students should contact the appropriate licensing agency and/or organization for the latest information.
State Authorization
Location
Per 34 CFR 668.43 (c)(3)(ii), institutions must provide the Department of Education with the institutional determination of where the student is located upon request. To achieve this an institution must establish policies or procedures to consistently determine where students are located. Institutions must determine where a student is located both at the time of enrollment in an institution and after receiving information provided by the student indicating that the student's location has changed during their enrollment.
USM collects location information from students as part of the registration process wherein students are asked to provide their physical location. Each semester students must update their location information.
Relocation
Students who are pursuing degrees related to professional licensure or certification, and/or who will be participating in clinical placements, internships, or practica through their degree program should be aware that their host facility may require any or all of the following:
In such situations, each student is responsible for obtaining and paying for the background check or other screening process and for delivering required documentation to the facility.
IMPORTANT SUPERVISED FIELD EXPERIENCE INFORMATION
Although the University will make reasonable efforts to place admitted students in field experiences and internships, it will be up to the host facility to determine whether a student will be allowed to work at that facility.
Impact of Criminal Record on Licensure
34 CFR 668.43 (a)(5)(v) - General Disclosures
If a program is designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements, the institution must make the following information readily available to enrolled or prospective students.
(A) A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification;
(B) A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum does not meet the State educational requirements for licensure or certification; and
(C) A list of all States for which the institution has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification.
34 CFR 668.43 (c) - Direct Disclosures
Prior to enrollment, direct disclosure is made if the program does not meet or the institution has not made a determination whether the program meets educational requirements. The regulations state that regarding the timing of these disclosures, the Department expects that the institution will provide this disclosure before a student signs an enrollment agreement, or in the event that an institution does not provide an enrollment agreement, before the student makes a financial commitment to the institution.
If the student is enrolled in a program and the institution makes a determination that the program does not meet educational requirements in the state where the student is located, the institution shall notify the student within 14 calendar days.
The University of Southern Mississippi does not guarantee nor confirm that any program that fulfill Mississippi licensure requirements will satisfy the professional licensure boards standards/requirements in other states or territories. If you are a student applying to/admitted to a program that leads to professional licensure and intend to practice outside of the State of Mississippi, please contact the appropriate licensing agency in your state of residence before beginning a course of study.