About UWSP Accreditation

Consumer Information​​ Disclosures​

​The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is required by law to make available to enrolled students, prospective students, their parents, and employees certain information about its operations. Such information pertains to: (1) general institutional operation, (2) financial aid, (3) general completion and graduation rates, (4) annual security report, (5) completion and graduation rates for student athletes, and (6) athletic program participation rates and financial support.

Web site addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the university officials who can respond to questions or information requests in their specific areas are included with each informational item. To request hard copies of any of the information listed bel​ow, please contact the respective departments listed or contact the Consumer Information Disclosure Compliance Officer​.

Program Integrity: Complaint Procedures

Contact information for complaints relating to distance learning or correspondence education

Pursuant to the United States Department of Education’s Program Integrity Rule, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is required to provide all prospective and current students with the contact information of the state agency, or agencies, that handle complaints against postsecondary education institutions offering distance learning or correspondence education within that state.  Students are encouraged to utilize the institution’s internal complaint or review policies and procedures prior to filing a complaint with the state agency or agencies.

Students enrolled in courses at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point may use the link here to submit a complaint regarding courses delivered in all modalities, including face-to-face, hybrid, and 100% online.

This link provides a list of contacts from each state in which a student may file a complaint.

Distance Learning Education- State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement
Pursuant to Wis. Stats. Ch. 39.85, et. al, the State of Wisconsin is a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) through the Midwestern Higher Education Compact which regulates the manner in which participating institutions may offer distance learning education to students who reside in other states.  UW-Stevens Point is a participating institution in MSARA.   The terms and conditions of SARA can be found at http://nc-sara.org/content/sara-policies-and-standards.

If a student has a complaint that involves distance learning education offered under the terms and conditions of SARA, the student must file a complaint with the institution first to seek resolution (see above). If no resolution is reached, then the student may file a complaint with the Wisconsin Distance Learning Authorization Board (DLAB) through the following State Authorization Reciprocity Complaint Process at the following link: https://www.wisconsin.edu/student-complaints/ or by email to afgp@uwsa.edu.  For purposes of this process, a complaint shall be defined as a formal assertion in writing that the terms of this agreement, or of laws, standards or regulations incorporated by the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements Policies and Standards have been violated by the institution operating under the terms of SARA.

Additional information can be found at http://www.heab.state.wi.us/dlab/

For additional information you may call the Office of Academic Affairs at 715-346-4686.

Professional Licenses and Certifications – Definitions, Distinctions, and Disclosures

Excerpt from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

Licenses and certifications show that a person has the specific knowledge or skill needed to do a job. Typically, you earn these credentials after you’ve completed your education. Sometimes, you become licensed or certified after you’ve gained practical experience, such as through an internship, residency, or time on the job.

Earning a license or certification involves meeting standards, which often includes passing an exam. Licenses and certifications are usually valid for a limited term and must be renewed periodically. An employer may require either credential.

However, there are a few key differences in the way BLS uses these terms. As shown below, one of the biggest distinctions between these two credentials is that licenses are legally required by the government to work in an occupation; certifications are not.

License

• Awarded by a governmental licensing agency
• Gives legal authority to work in an occupation
• Requires meeting predetermined criteria, such as having a degree or passing a state-administered exam.

Certification

• Awarded by a professional organization or other nongovernmental body
• Is not legally required in order to work in an occupation
• Requires demonstrating competency to do a specific job, often through an examination process.

Sometimes, these credentialing terms are used interchangeably. For example, some states may refer to the credentials teachers need as certifications while others refer to these certifications as “add-ons” to general state licenses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics would define them all as licenses because they are issued by a state government and are legally required for many specific teaching positions.

Professional Licensure Disclosures

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point offers several programs and credentials that may lead to professional licensure within the State of Wisconsin. Other states vary in what professions they require to be licensed and how licensure functions. For example, some states require an individual to graduate from an approved program. Other states may require an individual to meet certification requirements of a national organization. A specific amount of training may also be required as well as passage of an exam based on a state-required exam score. Frequently, licensed professionals must complete continuing education on an annual basis.

If a student is planning to apply for licensure in a state other than Wisconsin after completion of their program, the student should refer to the information below or contact the other state’s appropriate licensing board to determine whether the UW-Stevens Point program meets licensure requirements in that state.

Please note: licensure requirements are always subject to change. Although the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point will confirm the licensure requirements on a routine basis, it is strongly recommended that you inquire with the state board to confirm that you understand and will meet the requirements for licensure before enrolling in your program of choice.

The programs listed below represent select programs at UW-Stevens Point that are designed to provide the educational requirements for professional licensure in the State of Wisconsin. General information regarding all academic programs may be found in the course catalog. For specific information about a program and disclosure of information regarding a program’s suitability for fulfilling licensure requirements in another state, use the link embedded in the program name listed below.

Education Degree Programs:
• Communication Sciences and Disorders: Teacher Certification (B.S.)
• Early Childhood Education (B.S.)
• Elementary Education (B.S.)
• English: Teacher Certification (B.A.)
• Family and Consumer Sciences: Teacher Education Option (B.S.)
• German: Teacher Certification (B.A.)
• Graduate Certification Programs in K-12th Grade Cross-Categorical Special Education (M.S.E.)
• History and Social Studies Education (B.A.) (See here for B.S.)
• Mathematics: Teacher Certification (Secondary/Middle) (B.S.)
• Music Education (B.M.)
• Natural Science for Science Teaching Certification (B.S.)
• Physical Education for Teacher Certification (Early Childhood through Adolescence) (B.S.)
• Reading Certification in English (M.S.T.)
• Spanish: Teacher Certification (B.A.)
• Special Education (B.S.)

Additional Certification/Licensure Options in Education:
• Adapted Physical Education 860 Add-On Certification
• Bilingual-Bicultural Education Certificate Program
• Early Childhood Education Graduate Certification Program
• Environmental Education Minor for Teachers
• English as a Second Language Minor with K-12 Teacher Certification
• Graduate Certification Program in Family and Consumer Sciences
• Reading Graduate Certification Programs
• Special Education Graduate Certification Programs

Health Sciences Degree Programs:
• Athletic Training (M.S.)
• Audiology Clinical Doctorate (Au.D.)
• Clinical Laboratory Science Cytotechnology Option (B.S.) Histotechnology Option (B.S.) Medical Technology Option (B.S.)
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech and Language Pathology)(M.S.)
• Dietetics (B.S.)
• Health Information Management and Technology: Health Information Management (HIM) Track (B.S.)

State Authorizations

In compliance with federal, state, and other policies, UW-Stevens Point provides this list of U.S. states in which authorization or exemption (as applicable) has been granted. Also listed are those states for which authorization is still in process, pending final approval, or in need of further review.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was recently accepted as a member of NC-SARA.

UW-Stevens Point is authorized to offer online degree programs in the following states and territories:

U.S. States

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Connecticut
• Colorado
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota*
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

U.S. Territories

• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands

 * UW-Stevens Point is registered as a public institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

Last updated: January 29, 2019

Please note: updated and detailed information will be added to this webpage; please check back regularly for the most up-to-date list of states and other conditions.

If you have questions about the State Authorization process at UW-Stevens Point, please contact:

Todd C. Huspeni
Associate Vice Chancellor for
Teaching, Learning, & Strategic Planning
Office of Academic Affairs
202 Old Main
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI 54481
715-346-4250
thuspeni@uwsp.edu