What is accreditation and why is it important?
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that academic programs provided by institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of quality. Regional and professional accrediting associations develop rigorous evaluation criteria based on standards and conduct peer reviews on a regular basis to assess whether criteria are met.
We believe that when shopping for an art school, it’s imperative to know which are accredited and by whom. VCUarts is fully accredited.
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities that establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Member institutions complete periodic peer review processes to become, and remain, accredited.
VCUarts is accredited by NASAD – not all schools are.
VCU School of the Arts is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Dance, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the Virginia Department of Education, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, and the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education.
All visual arts degree programs: Art Education, Art History, Cinema, Communication Arts, Craft/Material Studies, Fashion Design & Merchandising, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting & Printmaking, Photography and Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media are accredited by
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Music Education (bachelor’s and master’s degrees)
In addition to accreditations from the National Association of Schools of Music and the Virginia Department of Education, Music Education is accredited by
National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education
Theatre Education (bachelor’s degree) is also accredited by
National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education
