University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of University of the Cumberlands may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
University of the Cumberlands is a private, faith based institution that is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board is formed by highly esteemed individuals from around the state of Kentucky and the United States. University of the Cumberlands complies with all applicable federal and state non-discrimination statutes and does not engage in prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, age, handicap or genetic information. The University may discriminate on the basis of religion in any position of employment in order to fulfill its purpose.
Additional accreditation information:
1. University of the Cumberlands’ Education programs are further state accredited through Kentucky's Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB), 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone: 502.564.4606, Fax: 502.564.7080.
2. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is responsible for the oversight of accredited programs and ensures the proper teaching and administrator standards are fully implemented for its accredited programs. Learn more by reading our CAEP Accountability Measures.
3. The Associate Degree nursing program at the Forcht School of Nursing at the University of the Cumberlands located in Williamsburg, KY is accredited by the:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 975-5000
4. The RN-BSN degree program at University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education , 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
5. The MSN-FNP degree program at University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education , 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
6. The Hutton School of Business at the University of the Cumberlands has received specialized accreditations for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11374 Strang Line Road in Lenexa, Kansas, USA. For a list of accredited programs please refer to our IACBE member status page.
7. Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Effective October 25, 2022, the University of the Cumberlands Physical Therapy Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 606.539.4251 or email vicki.lafay@ucumberlands.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
CAPTE Timing and the Licensing Exam
The DPT program will be evaluated for Initial Accreditation status in the second year of the first cohort (2024). Notification regarding Initial Accreditation is anticipated to be received prior to graduation of the first cohort which will be December 2024. Based on Rule 7.2 (see below), graduates of the first cohort will be able to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as early as January 2025.
Program Accreditation Contingency Plan
The University of the Cumberlands (UC) DPT program received Candidate for Accreditation status on October 25, 2022. The UC DPT program will submit documentation for initial accreditation to CAPTE before the first cohort graduates, anticipating that the program will achieve initial accreditation in the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 cycle. Should the program fail to achieve initial accreditation, UC and the program will strive to resolve all concerns and provide necessary documented evidence to CAPTE for reconsideration. All current and prospective students will receive timely notification of the program’s accreditation status upon receipt from CAPTE.
The institution has developed a contingency plan for students if Initial Accreditation status is not achieved. In July 2020, the U.S. Department of Education ruled that Candidacy is a pre-accreditation status for institutions recognized by a national or regional accrediting body. UC is regionally accredited by SACS. Therefore, students who graduate from the first cohort will be considered graduates of an accredited program and eligible to sit for the FSBPT licensure examination according to the rules within their respective states. Students in the first cohort must successfully complete the program in the original time frame scheduled for their graduation, i.e., the twelve-month period following the date of the action initial accreditation is not received.
If initial accreditation is not received, students in later cohorts are not deemed eligible to sit for the FSBPT licensure examination. These students are offered a teach-out plan, that may lead to (1) a Master’s degree in Health and Human Performance from the University of the Cumberlands. This degree does not lead to licensure as a physical therapist. Alternatively, students may choose to (2) transfer to another major at the University of the Cumberlands; or (3) withdraw from the university. Enrolled students in these later cohorts will be provided with a list of accredited DPT academic programs offered by other institutions. Students will be informed that UC cannot assist students in securing admissions into other accredited programs, nor can UC assure that these other programs will accept UC students into their program.
Prospective students will be informed of this contingency plan in application materials and will sign to acknowledge awareness of the program’s candidacy status. This acknowledgment will note that if initial accreditation is not received before the student starting the program, they will be notified accordingly.
The University of the Cumberlands will do everything possible to ensure the program achieves initial accreditation but cannot guarantee an accreditation outcome. The University of the Cumberlands will not refund students for expenses related to the UC DPT program if initial accreditation is not achieved.
Complaints to the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education is a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CAPTE grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The only mechanism through which CAPTE can act on an individual’s concerns is through a formal complaint process. For more information please visit the CAPTE website.
The process for filing a complaint with CAPTE is available here.
8. University of the Cumberlands has been named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are just over 200 universities nationwide with CAE-CD designation, and only two other universities in Kentucky included in this elite group.
9. The CACREP Council accredits the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, Addiction Counseling program, PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision, and the related Doctorate of Educational Leadership Online (EdD) Program. CACREP is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) that accredits counselor-preparation graduate degree programs. For more information, visit https://www.cacrep.org.
CACREP Outcomes for the Department of Counseling at University of Cumberlands:
Vital Statistics: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Program Evaluation Outcomes Report: 2015-2018
10. University of the Cumberlands Physician Assistant Programs:
Williamsburg Program
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the University of the Cumberlands Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of the Cumberlands. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be 2029 March. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.
Northern Kentucky Program
The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the University of the Cumberlands Northern Kentucky Campus Physician Assistant Program sponsored by University of the Cumberlands.
Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-the-cumberlands-northern-ky/.
11. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) COA approved Benchmark 1 and granted the program Candidacy status for the BSW.
Current President:
Larry Cockrum
University of the Cumberlands
6178 College Station Drive
Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769
606-549-2200