Accreditation
New England Commission of Higher Education
The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the commission indicates that the institution meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of quality periodically applied through a peer-review process. An accredited college or university is one that has the resources required 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.
Accreditation by the commission is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.
Every 10 years, MCPHS undertakes a comprehensive self–study following the NECHE Standards for Accreditation. This process culminates in evaluation by a visiting team of faculty and administrators from peer institutions. After the visit, the visiting team chair prepares a report for the university and NECHE. The NECHE commission meets with the MCPHS president and a representative of the team to discuss the report and MCPHS’ response to it. The decennial process concludes with a letter of reaccreditation from NECHE.
MCPHS was initially accredited in 1974. Its last comprehensive review was in 2017. MCPHS’ comprehensive self-study will be written in 2025-2026 and the accompanying site visit will take place in 2027.
Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the commission should be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs at 617.732.2854.
Individuals may also contact the New England Commission of Higher Education, 3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, MA 01803-4514; phone: 781.425.7785; fax: 781.425.1001; email: info@neche.org.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
MCPHS University is approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to grant the degrees and certificates awarded by programs on the Boston and Worcester campuses.
State of New Hampshire
MCPHS University is approved by the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission to award the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Doctor of Pharmacy, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees on the Manchester campus, contingent upon continuing accreditation by ACOTE, ARC-PA, ACPE, and CCNE, respectively.