The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. UNCW also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of UNCW 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).
UNCW was originally granted accreditation from SACSCOC in 1952. We were approved to offer Distance Education programs on May 6, 1998. Our institution was successfully reaffirmed in December 2023.
“The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states.
It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among the diverse institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Latin America and other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
The Commission also accepts applications from other international institutions of higher education.” (SACSCOC, 2021)
Candidate and member institutions maintain a working relationship with the Commission's staff by appointing an Accreditation Liaison. Dr. Andy Mauk currently serves as the Accreditation Liaison for UNCW.
Dr. Andy Mauk
Associate Provost, Institutional Research and Planning
910.962.7638
The SACSCOC Board of Trustees has not taken recent action on the activities of this institution.
UNCW submitted a Compliance Certification Report for the 10th-Year Reaffirmation in September of 2022. After an off-site review requesting additional information on four standards, a Focused Report was submitted in February of 2023. Additionally, the draft Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) was submitted after several years of planning. An on-site visit comprising peer evaluators and the SACSCOC Vice President occurred in March 2023. At the time, UNCW had no findings or follow-up items.
On December 5, 2023, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees announced that UNCW’s accreditation status was reaffirmed with no further actions required. UNCW remains in good standing with the Commission.
The next SACSCOC Reaffirmation for UNCW is scheduled for 2033.
The Fifth-Year Interim Report for SACSCOC serves as an update on accreditation compliance for select standards and principles. The last UNCW Fifth-Year Report was submitted in March 2019.
After a brief Focus Report related to one standard was submitted, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees reviewed our Fifth-Year Report and noted that no additional reports were required. The Board also confirmed progress made on the Quality Enhancement Plan as acceptable.
The next SACSCOC Reaffirmation for UNCW is scheduled for 2033. The next Fifth-Year Interim Report for UNCW is due in 2029. This will include a report on progress made in the institution’s QEP.
In preparation for the 2022/23 reaffirmation cycle, UNCW developed the next QEP for the institution. “Seahawks Advancing Interdisciplinary Learning” or SAIL, was approved by the SACSCOC Evaluation Committee during the March 2023, on-site meeting.
More information can be found on the SAIL webpage.
Specialized or programmatic accreditation typically relates to the evaluation of specific programs, departments, or schools that are units within post-secondary institutions. At UNCW, the units who respond to specialized accreditation standards and processes range from large colleges or schools to unique programs within a discipline.
Units who seek or achieve specialized accreditation undergo a rigorous self-study and review of quality assurance-related practices, along with extensive measurement against a set of standard.
For a list of specialized or programmatic accreditation, please contact Dr. Andy Mauk, SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison.