Accreditation and Memberships

Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, 312-263-0456, www.ncahlc.org. The accreditation, which was awarded in 1925, includes undergraduate and graduate levels at all locations where the University offers programs.

Licensure/Approvals and Specialized Accreditation

State Licensures

• Arizona: Master's degree programs at Luke AFB are licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. If you have any complaint or grievance which you cannot resolve with the school, write or call:
  
  Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
  1400 West Washington, Room 260
  Phoenix, AZ 85007
  Telephone: 602-542-5709
  
• Arkansas: The campuses at Little Rock, Little Rock Air Force Base, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville are certified by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board certification does not constitute an endorsement of any institution or program. Such certification merely indicates that certain criteria have been met as required under the rules and regulations implementing institutional and program certification as defined in Arkansas Code §6-61-301. The student should be aware that these degree programs may not transfer. The transfer of course/degree credit is determined by the receiving institution.
  
• California: "Notice of Student Rights" in California—You may cancel your contract for school, without any penalty or obligations, by the fifth business day following your first class as described in the Notice of Cancellation form that will be given to you. Read the Notice of Cancellation form for any explanation of your cancellation rights and responsibilities. If you have lost your Notice of Cancellation form, ask the school for a sample copy. After the end of the cancellation period, you also have the right to stop school at any time, and you have the right to receive a refund for the part of the course not taken. Your refund rights are described in the contract. If you have lost your contract, ask the school for a description of the refund policy. If the school closes before you graduate, you may be entitled to a refund.
  
  If you have any complaints, questions, or problems which you cannot work out with the school, write or call:
  
  Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education
  P.O. Box 980818
  West Sacramento, CA 95798-0818
  Telephone: 916-445-3427
  
• Colorado: The metropolitan campuses at Colorado Springs and Denver are authorized to offer master's degrees by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
  
• District of Columbia: Master's degree programs at Bolling AFB in Washington, D.C., are licensed by the District of Columbia Educational Institution Licensure Commission.
  
• Florida: Master's degree programs at the metropolitan campuses in Orlando, Jacksonville, Lakeland & Brandon, Merritt Island, Ocala, Palm Bay, Sarasota, Tampa Bay, Manatee, and at NAS Jacksonville and Patrick AFB are licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education. Credits and degrees earned from colleges licensed by this board do not automatically qualify the holder to participate in professional licensing examinations in the State of Florida. Any person interested in practicing a regulated profession in Florida should contact the appropriate state regulatory agency.
  
  For further information about the status of Webster University's programs in Florida, contact:
  
  Florida Department of Education
  Commission for Independent Education
  325 West Gaines Street
  Suite 1414
  Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
  Telephone: 888-224-6684 (Toll free)
  850-245-3200
  
• Illinois: The metropolitan campus in Crystal Lake and master's degree programs at Great Lakes Naval Base and Scott Air Force Base are approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
  
• Kentucky: The metropolitan campus at Louisville is licensed by the Kentucky Council on Post-Secondary Education.
  
• South Carolina: The metropolitan campuses in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach are licensed by the:
  
  Commission on Higher Education
  1333 Main Street, Suite 200
  Columbia, SC 29201
  Telephone: 803-737-2288
  
  If students at the Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Campuses have complaints about a classroom situation, they should first attempt to resolve the situation with the instructor. If resolution cannot be made with the instructor, or if the complaint is about a general school policy over which the instructor has no jurisdiction, then they may contact the school director for mediation. If the complaint cannot be resolved at the school level, students may contact Nonpublic Institution Licensing of the Commission on Higher Education. The complaint must be in writing. The school director will provide students with the necessary form.
  
• Tennessee: Webster University is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. This authorization must be renewed each year and is based on an evaluation by minimum standards concerning quality of education, ethical business practices, health and safety, and fiscal responsibility.
  
• Washington: Webster University is authorized by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree Authorization Act. This authorization is valid until May 5, 2009 and authorizes Webster University to offer the following programs: master of arts (M.A.) in business and organizational security management, M.A. in information technology management; M.A. in counseling-professional mental health couseling; M.A. in human resources development; M.A. in management and leadership; and master of business administration (MBA). Any person desiring information about the requirements of the act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the HECB office at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430.

• Business related programs are accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• Music programs and degrees are fully accredited and approved by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
• Nursing programs and degrees are accredited by the National League for Nursing (NLN).
• Webster University is registered for state teachers' certificates by the Department of Education of the State of Missouri and is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. as a continuing education provider.
• Only the St. Louis Campus' legal studies B.A., M.A. and Paralegal Certificates are approved by the American Bar Association.
• The nurse anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) of nurse anesthesia educational programs.
• Education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

• China: The Webster University MBA program, offered in partnership with the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, is officially approved by and recognized by the Ministry of Education in China.
  
• Thailand: Webster University in Thailand is an accredited, private university by the Thailand Ministry of Education under Thai law.
  
• Austria: Webster University in Vienna is a  accredited by the Austrian Ministry for Education and Culture as a private university under Austrian law.
  
• The Netherlands: Webster University in the Netherlands is accredited by the Netherlands-Flemish Accreditation Agency (NVAO) and is an approved institute of higher education under Dutch law.

Memberships

Webster University holds membership in the following organizations or associations:

• American Association for Paralegal Education
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
• American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
• American Council on Education
• Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
• Association of Theatre in Higher Education
• College Art Consortium
• College Consortium for International Studies
• College Entrance Examination Board
• Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)
• Council on International Educational Exchange
• Educational Theatre Association
• Higher Education Council of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri
• Institute of International Education
• International Council of Fine Arts Deans
• Missouri Music Educators Association
• National Education Association
• National League for Nursing

Webster University has been designated as an institutional member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, a group of more than 400 colleges and universities providing voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military throughout the world. As a member of SOC, Webster University recognizes the unique nature of the military lifestyle and has committed itself to easing the transfer of relevant course credits, providing flexible academic residency requirements, and crediting learning from appropriate military training and experiences. SOC has been developed jointly by educational representatives of each of the Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and a consortium of 13 leading national higher education associations; it is sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges.

Graduates of Webster University are eligible for membership in the American Association of University Women and the American College of Hospital Administrators.

The University also holds appropriate licensure, accreditations, or approvals within the recognized state approval agencies for all locations where Webster University offers programs.