Accreditation

Accreditation
How Accreditation Operates
What benefits to students does accreditation provide?

The college, owned by the National College of Oriental Medicine, is currently operating under the name Florida College of Integrative Medicine as approved by the Board of Directors of the college and the Commission for Independent Education. This name is descriptive of the college’s integration of Western biomedical sciences and Oriental medicine technologies so that our students, who graduate with a Master’s Degree in Oriental Medicine, can effectively integrate their Oriental medicine training within the overall healthcare delivery system.

Our Accreditation & Licensure
The professional Master’s Level Oriental Medicine Program of the Florida College of Integrative Medicine (FCIM) is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), which is the recognized accrediting agency for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners. ACAOM is located at Maryland Trade Center 3, 7501 Greenbelt Center Drive, Suite 820, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Tel: (301) 313-0855. Fax: (301) 313-0912.

Licensure
The Florida College of Integrative Medicine is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License No. 2621. Florida Commission for Independent Education is located at 2650 Apalachee Parkway, Suite A., Tallahassee, FL 32301. Tel: (850) 245-3200
Toll Free: 1-888-224-6684.

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How Accreditation Operates
The major features of accreditation are self-study, peer review and a judgment about accredited status based on standards established by the accrediting organization. In the self-study, institutions and programs undertake a self-examination of their academic and administrative operation based on standards established by an accrediting organization. Peer review is a process that engages faculty and administrators from outside an institution or program as well as public participants in the consideration of these same operations. This process includes examination of the self-study mentioned above as well as a site visit to an institution or program. To maintain accredited status, institutions and programs, reviews must be made periodically.

Accreditation standards are developed through consultation with key constituents in the academic community such as faculty and administrators accompanied by consultation with practitioners in the field and members of the public. Standards encompass the major activities of: curriculum, faculty, academic standards, student services, and academic support. They focus on student learning outcomes and institution or program performance. Standards also address the fundamentals of operating a higher education institution or program such as financial stability, organization and governance, and facilities.

The accrediting organization, through its decision-making body, makes a judgment about whether an institution or program is to be accredited, the length of the accreditation period, and any special conditions that may attach to the accreditation. The awarding of accreditation signifies that the school has met Commission Standards at an acceptable level and is willing to both maintain those standards and to improve its educational program by implementing the recommendations of the evaluation team.
Accreditation decisions are complex and require careful analytic consideration of the varied dimensions of an institution or program.

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What benefits to students does accreditation provide?

Assurance that the educational activities of an accredited institution or program have been found to be satisfactory, and, therefore, meet the needs of students.
Assurance of receiving a well-rounded graduate education.
Advanced degree opportunities.
Assistance in the transfer of credits between institutions or in the admission of students to advanced degrees through the general acceptance of credits among accredited institutions when the performance of the student has been satisfactory and the credits to be transferred are appropriate to the receiving institution.
Assurance that the degree earned will qualify the graduate for many jobs which specify graduation from an accredited school as a condition of employment.
Eligibility for public health internships and fellowships sponsored by various federal agencies, as well as student assistance resources that are available only through accredited schools.

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