Accreditation
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission)
ACPHS Accreditation Status
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission). In 2021, ACPHS’s accreditation status was reaffirmed. The College is currently preparing for its next site visit in 2027-2028.
MSCHE is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (candidate status) activities for institutions of higher education including distance, correspondence education, and direct assessment programs offered at those institutions. The Commission’s geographic area of accrediting activities is throughout the United States.
The curriculum of each undergraduate or graduate program is approved by the New York State Department of Education.
MSCHE examines each institution as a whole, rather than specific programs within institutions. The below ACPHS programs are accredited separately. The length of each accreditation cycle is determined by the respective accrediting body.
Doctor of Pharmacy – PharmD
The College’s Doctor of Pharmacy program holds accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), located at 190 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60603-3499. Their telephone number is 312-664-3575. Unresolved issues related to ACPE accreditation standards may be brought to ACPE’s attention.
The program is accredited through 2033.
The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), recognizes Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for 50 years of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) accreditation.
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
The College’s Clinical Laboratory Sciences programs hold accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), located at 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119. Their telephone number is 773-714-8880.
The program is accredited through 2029.
Cytotechnology
The College’s Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology program holds accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Cytotechnology Programs Committee of the American Society of Cytopathology. CAAHEP is located at 9355 113th Street North, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775. Telephone: 727-210-2350. CAAHEP recently approved a 3-year extension of the accreditation for our Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology program to the maximum 10 years possible touting the program’s record of success and positive outcomes. The program is accredited through 2028. For more information, search for accredited programs.
Public Health
The College’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health has been accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for a five-year term until 2026.
Notice of CEPH Reaccreditation Site Visit & Opportunity for Third-Party Comments
The Bachelor of Science Public Health program at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) is currently accredited by the Council for Education on Public Health (CEPH). The program’s reaccreditation cycle is currently underway, with a CEPH site visit scheduled for March 23, 2026. As a part of the reaccreditation process, CEPH requires the provision of a third-party comment period, which allows anyone, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, community and practice partners, and members of the public, to share relevant information about the ACPHS Bachelor of Science Public Health program directly with CEPH, at least 30 calendar days prior to the scheduled site visit.
If you have any information about the ACPHS BS Public Health program that you would like to share with CEPH to inform their review, we ask that you please send your comments to submissions@ceph.org by February 21, 2026.
Middle States Reaccreditation
Each accredited institution of higher learning is required to periodically undergo a review by its accrediting agency. This review typically includes a rigorous self-study and feedback from peer institutions. Institutional accreditation is required for colleges and universities to participate in federal Title IV programs (student financial aid).
For Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, our institution-wide accreditation is provided by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The College has consistently earned accreditation including the maximum 10-year reaccreditation in 2010. The latest process to extend our accreditation began in Spring 2025 and will continue through Fall 2027 per the below timeline. The College completed the Self-study document and submitted to MSCHE on October 31, 2025. This document will serve as the blueprint for the entire self-study process, including the final Self-study Report. It will guide the efforts of the Steering Committee and Working Groups as they engage in discussions, inquiry and report preparation.
Steering Committee
The reaccreditation process will be a true community-wide initiative, and it is the Steering Committee who will drive this effort in close collaboration with the working groups.
The Steering Committee members are:
- Joseph Carreno (Co-Chair) – Director of Research and Sponsored Programs
- Dave Clarke (Co-Chair) – Chair, Department of Life Sciences
- Meenakshi Malik (Co-Chair) – Dean of the School of Health Sciences
- Brian Cesario, ALO & Interim Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
- Kristin Marshall, Director of Communications
- Sarah Ohnsman, Senior Associate Director of Admissions
- Kelly Quinn, Senior Associate Registrar
Evidence Coordinators:
- Sue Iwanowicz
- Jen Mylneic
Working Groups
Below is the list of Self-Study Working Groups and their respective memberships. The focus of each group aligns with one of the seven standards for accreditation as outlined by Middle States.
1. Mission and Goals
Nicole Shakerley (Chair)
- Kathleen Carroll
- Gina Garrison
- Jarrett Lykins
- Stephen Maher
- Katie Palmer
- Ria Amo ’28
2. Ethics and Integrity
Martha Hass (Chair)
- Nancy Dorr
- Daniele Leonard
- Jonathan Phipps
- Al Sacco
- Nick Kuban ’30
3. Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
Daniel Smith (Chair)
- Jen Cerulli
- Kelly Hallstrom
- Nicole Lodise
- Jen Mylneic
- Manish Shah
- Julie Park ’26
4. Support of the Student Experience
Peter Cornish (Chair)
- Alison Buckley
- Robert Coleman
- Anna Eyre
- Luke Schmonsky
- Matthew Yacobucci
- Tamara Alyazjeen ’28
5. Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Brian Cesario (Chair)
- Paul Denvir
- Jessica Farrell
- Travis Longworth
- Andy Zheng
- Megan Truong ’29
6. Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement
Eric Yager (Chair)
- Katie Cardone
- Lisa Fiori
- Darb Fitzgerald
- Marcel Musteata
- Kristen Ruby
- Emily Corbin ’30
7. Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Tim LaRocca (Chair)
- Tiffany Catalfamo
- Michelle Parent
- Marcy Stengel
- Yi Zhou
- Carolynn Whelpley ’27
Timeline
The timeline below provides an overview of the key milestones during the Self-Study process.
| Action | Timeline |
|---|---|
| February 2025: Steering Committee (SC) established
April 16, 2025: Cabinet presentation and approval |
Spring 2025 |
| May 13, 10-11am: Working Groups (WG) established & Meetings with WG Chairs
First Week of May: Webpage Created May 20th, Tuesday 10am, SC201: Town Hall August 1, 2025: Self Study Design document is written August 27, 2025: Site visit for Self Study Design Development of Evidence Inventory |
Spring/Summer 2025 |
| SC creates rubrics to provide guidance to WG Chairs
WG Chairs trained December 10-12, 2025: Annual Conference of MSCHE |
Fall 2025 |
| WG analyze Evidence Inventory data and construct outlines
Advisory Group (AG) reviews Self Study Outline with SC WG start working on first drafts |
Spring 2026 |
| First drafts finished
SC review Second drafts finished SC and AG review Community review of finished Self Study |
Fall 2026 |
| Submission of completed document | Spring 2027 |
| Site Visit | Fall 2027 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Middle States Reaccreditation
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performs peer evaluation and accreditation of public and private universities and colleges primarily in Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Middle States’ role is to assure students and the public of the educational quality of higher education. This is achieved through the accreditation process which helps colleges and universities demonstrate institutional accountability through a rigorous process of self-reflection and peer review.
The College currently has four academic programs – Doctor of Pharmacy, Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology, Public Health, and Clinical Laboratory Sciences – that are accredited by different agencies. Middle States, however, is the only agency that provides accreditation for the institution as a whole.
The focus of this process is the self-study which is an intensive review of an institution’s educational programs and services, student learning, and achievement of its stated goals and mission, as measured against the seven standards that have been developed by Middle States. These standards are:
- Mission and Goals
- Ethics and Integrity
- Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience
- Support of the Student Experience
- Educational Effectiveness Assessment
- Planning, Resources and Institutional Improvement
- Governance, Leadership, and Administration
Not meeting all of the criteria for a standard does not mean the school is in violation of the standard. It is understood that every institution has areas that can be improved. Through the self-study process, institutions should identify those areas for improvement and then develop a plan to address them.
From the kickoff of the Self-Study to the site visit by representatives from peer institutions, the entire process will take about two years.
Our expectation is that we will be reaccredited for eight years (Middle States recently reduced the maximum period of reaccreditation from 10 years to 8 years). Following the conclusion of the self-study process, all schools must provide annual reports detailing their progress in any areas designated for improvement. A follow-up site visit is also scheduled at the halfway point of the accreditation to monitor the school’s progress.
Professional Licensure Disclosures
This disclosure is made pursuant to Federal regulations, 34 C.F.R. §668.43, and in compliance with National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).
ACPHS cannot provide verification of an individual’s ability to meet licensure or certification requirements unrelated to its educational programming. Such individual determinations are made by state licensing boards and are fact-specific determinations.
This disclosure does not provide any guarantee that any particular state licensure entity, including New York State’s, will approve or deny a student’s application for licensure. Furthermore, this disclosure does not account for changes in state law or regulation that may affect your application for licensure and occur after this disclosure has been made.
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences provides the following information for programs designed to lead to professional licensure.
Cytologist/Cytotechnologist (MS)
Cytologist/Cytotechnologist (MS)
Educational requirements to obtain a Cytologist/Cytotechnologist license vary from state to state. As of September 2024, ACPHS has determined that its MS in Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology program curriculum, if successfully completed, meets the educational requirements to practice as a licensed Cytologist/Cytotechnologist in NY, CA, FL, HI, LA, MT, NV, ND, TN, WV and Puerto Rico. Prospective and enrolled students should review the state’s licensure requirements for any state where they plan to practice. Some states have additional requirements that an applicant must meet outside of a cytology program curriculum (for example, additional intern hours).
Please contact the Dean of Health Sciences office at HealthSciencesDean@acphs.edu for any questions.
Disclosure Relating to National Certification Exam
ACPHS has determined that its MS in Cytotechnology and Molecular Cytology curriculum meets the eligibility requirements for graduates to sit for the nationally recognized American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) cytologist exam.
Pharmacist (PharmD)
Educational requirements to obtain a Pharmacist license vary from state to state. ACPHS has determined that its Doctor of Pharmacy program curriculum, if successfully completed, meets the educational requirements to practice as a licensed Pharmacist in all the United States and Puerto Rico. Prospective and enrolled students should review that state’s licensure requirements for any state where they plan to practice. Some states have additional requirements that an applicant must meet outside of a Doctor of Pharmacy program curriculum (for example, additional intern hours).
Please contact the Dean of Pharmacy’s office at PharmacyDean@acphs.edu for any questions.
Disclosure Relating to National Certification Exam
ACPHS has determined that its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program curriculum meets the eligibility requirements for graduates to sit for the nationally recognized NAPLEX and MPJE exams.
Medical Laboratory Scientist (MS, BS)
Educational requirements to obtain a Clinical Laboratory Scientist license vary from state to state. As of September 2024, ACPHS has determined that its Clinical Laboratory Science program curriculum, if successfully completed, meets the educational requirements to practice as a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist in NY, FL, HI, LA, MT, NV, ND, TN, WV, and Puerto Rico. ACPHS has also determined that its Clinical Laboratory Science program curriculum is insufficient to meet the educational requirements to practice as a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist in California. Prospective and enrolled students should review the state’s licensure requirements for any state where they plan to practice. Some states have additional requirements that an applicant must meet outside of a Clinical Laboratory Science program curriculum (for example, additional intern hours).
Please contact the Dean of Health Sciences office at HealthSciencesDean@acphs.edu for any questions.
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