Accreditation, Professional Membership & Licensures

Loras College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in a 19-state region of the United States.

Higher Learning Commission
230 South LaSalle Street
Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604

info@hlcommission.org
800.621.7440

Several specific academic programs are accredited through external professional organizations. The undergraduate teacher education program and the master’s in school counseling are accredited by the Iowa Department of Education. The Council on Social Work Education has accredited the social work major at the baccalaureate level. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has accredited the master of athletic training program, and the engineering program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

Professional Association Memberships:

American Association of Catholic Colleges & Universities
1 Dupont Circle, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20036
accunet.org
Telephone: 202.457.0650
Fax: 202.728.0977

Council of Independent Colleges
One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 320
Washington, DC 20036-1142
cic.edu
Telephone: 202.466.7230
Fax: 202.466.7238

Iowa Academy of Science
175 Baker Hall – UNI
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0508
Phone: 319.273.2021
Fax: 319.273.2807
scienceiniowa.org

Iowa Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Deanna Stoube, President 2018-2019
St. Ambrose University
iowacte.org

Program Accreditation and Licensures:

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100
Austin, TX 78731-3184
512-733-9700
caate.net

ABET
415 North Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
410.347.7700
abet.org

Council on Social Work Education
1701 Duke Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-3457
703.683.8080
info@cswe.org | cswe.org

Iowa Department of Education
400 E. 14th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0146
515.281.5294
educateiowa.gov 

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements

Information on this website is updated annually as state licensure webpages and information change regularly. For questions related to state licensure requirements, please contact Heidi Nelson.

Accounting

Loras College’s accounting program allows students to complete the 150-hour Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam requirement. Students are encouraged to work with the Loras College accounting faculty to ensure they are eligible for the exam if they want to become a CPA. Loras College accounting program students can become in all fifty states if they meet additional residency and ethics requirements.

Alcohol & Drug Abuse

Loras College’s Alcohol and Drug Counseling Certification Education program meets the educational requirements to be eligible to become a certified alcohol and drug counselor in Iowa. Alcohol and drug counseling certification varies by state. Loras College cannot determine if the alcohol and drug counseling certification education program meets the requirements for a similar certification in all other states.

Athletic Training

The Master of Athletic Training program is a CAATE-accredited program in good standing, which meets the educational requirements for students to sit for the national Board of Certification (BOC) examination upon program completion. Passing the BOC exam makes students eligible for state licensure, registration, or certification within the United States. Currently, forty-nine states and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of athletic training. Individuals must be legally recognized by the appropriate state regulatory agency before practicing athletic training. The BOC exam is recognized by all Athletic Trainer state regulatory agencies to meet their exam requirement. Compliance with state regulatory requirements is mandatory and the only avenue to legal athletic training practice.

Counseling

Loras College’s counseling program meets the educational requirements to allow students to become mental health counselors in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, with their specific state titles. If an applicant or student is interested in becoming licensed in another state, they should work with the program director individually to determine if they are eligible for licensure in that state.

Education

Loras teacher education programs are aligned with the State of Iowa teacher licensure requirements; the College’s authority to recommend candidates for an initial Iowa teaching license and/or additional endorsements is maintained through program approval issued by the Iowa Department of Education. As most states offer reciprocity for Iowa license holders, students who plan to seek teacher licensure in another state after earning their initial Iowa teaching license should contact the teacher licensing authority in the prospective state to determine current licensure and testing requirements for an out-of-state candidate.

Our graduates regularly seek employment and obtain licensure in other states. As of June 2021, California requires a basic skills test and, within five years, an additional English learner authorization; Illinois offers full reciprocity with Iowa license holders and Wisconsin, for some licensure levels/grades, an additional reading test is required. Training in Minority Group Relations – WI American Indian Bands and Tribes may also be required and can be completed through workshops/courses in the first year of employment.

School Counseling

Loras College’s school counseling program meets the educational requirements to allow students to become school counselors in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with Wisconsin requiring an additional Praxis exam. Students claiming any other state as their home state need to identify its educational requirements to become a school counselor, as Loras College cannot determine if the educational requirements meet licensure in other states. For example, California requires post-bachelor’s degree study consisting of 48 credits. The Loras College school counseling program is 39 credits. The school counseling program graduates have been from Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, California, Florida, Minnesota, and Illinois. The program director works individually with each student throughout the program to ensure that the student is eligible for licensure in another state.

Social Work

The Loras social work program mission is to provide a supportive learning community that graduates competent, ethical, value-based, generalist social work practitioners who critically use their liberal arts background to serve others. Working with and in partnering agencies, students grounded in empowerment actively learn knowledge, values, and skills, reflect upon those through opportunities in and outside the classroom, adopt and adhere to ethical approaches with diverse populations, and contribute responsibly to an ever-growing and changing world. The social work program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) every seven years. The social work program allows individuals to become licensed in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.