Specialized Accreditation

As part of its institutional responsibility, BCM represents itself accurately all U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recognized agencies with which it holds accreditation. Moreover, BCM and its programs provide each accrediting agency consistent descriptions regarding the college’s purpose, governance, programs, degrees, diplomas, certificates, personnel, finances, and constituents. To ensure consistency, programs seeking specialized accreditation should refer to the following information about developing their self-study materials: Institutional Informational Guide.

Degree programs seeking reaccreditation must adhere to the following review/approval process prior to the submission of their self-study report (and other accreditation materials) to their discipline-specific accrediting body:

1. Programs must submit their self-study report and related materials, including contact information, to the Office of Accreditation and Education Effectiveness (OAEE) via Jennifer Christner, Sr. Dean and Ricky Mercado, Director of Accreditation and Education Effectiveness. Please allow time for review.
2. Following the review, the program should incorporate suggested revisions and, if needed, meet with OAEE staff to address any remaining concerns.
3. OAEE will attain the appropriate approvals/signature from College Leadership, including the President, dependent upon the approval requirements established by the accreditor.

For any questions, please contact Jennifer Christner, Sr. Dean and Ricky Mercado, Director of Accreditation and Education Effectiveness.

The Office of Accreditation and Education Effectiveness and the Senior Dean of the Schools of Medicine and Health Professions should be notified immediately regarding any changes in accreditation status. The College’s Accreditation Liaison shall be responsible for informing SACSCOC of any pending or final actions by a USDOE-recognized accrediting agency to suspend, revoke, withdraw or terminate a program’s accreditation and to impose probation or an equivalent status.

For more information on the degree and certificate programs Baylor College of Medicine is legally authorized and accredited to grant see the Education Programs webpage.

ACCME Accreditation

Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. CME activities are provided at Baylor by the Division of Continuing Professional Development.

The ACCME is the organization that sets educational standards for CME activities and monitors its accredited providers’ adherence to those standards. The ACCME accredits organizations and does not accredit individual activities.

Accredited CME is an essential component of continuing physician professional development in the eyes of the US organizations of medicine. ACCME accreditation is a mark of quality (CME) activities that are planned, implemented and evaluated by ACCME accredited providers in accordance with the ACCME’s Accreditation Criteria, Standards for Commercial Support, and policies (accreditation requirements). ACCME accreditation assures the medical community and the public that such activities provide physicians with information that can assist them in maintaining or improving their practice of medicine, to help them bridge the gap between today’s care and what care should be. In addition, accredited CME activities are free of commercial bias and based on valid content.

Baylor received Accreditation with Commendation, the highest level obtainable, in the most recent review by the ACCME in 2019.

• ACCME Policies
• ACCME Accreditation Requirements 
• ACCME Accreditation Rules

ACCME Accreditation Body Address: 

401 N. Michigan Ave
Suite 1850
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-527-9000

ACGME Accreditation

Baylor College of Medicine sponsors more than 100 residency and fellowship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME sets and monitors voluntary professional educational standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all Americans. The Office of Graduate Medical Education monitors accreditation compliance.

The ACGME provides assurance that a sponsoring institution or program meets the quality standards (Institutional and Program Requirements) of the specialty or subspecialty practice(s) for which it prepares its graduates. ACGME accreditation is overseen by a review committee made up of volunteer specialty experts from the field. All programs and sponsoring institutions undergo a full accreditation site visit every 10 years following a comprehensive self-study process, during which programs review their aims and conduct an analysis of strengths, areas for improvement, external opportunities and threats. They then must formulate and document plans for improvement.

View all Residency and Fellowship programs at BCM.

• ACGME FAQs
• ACGME Mission, Vision, and Values

ACGME Accreditation Body Address: 

401 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-755-5000

ACGC Accreditation

Baylor’s Genetic Counseling Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC), the accreditation board for graduate programs in genetic counseling. ACGC advances quality in genetic counseling education by developing and maintaining standards for educational and clinical training of genetic counseling students and implementing a peer-review process to evaluate programs. Accreditation is granted for a finite period and must be renewed as specified by ACGC.

The ACGC Accreditation Manual includes the rules of procedure by which ACGC operates. Policies related to the accreditation process are included in this manual.

Standards of Accreditation for Graduate Programs in Genetic Counseling

ACGC Accreditation Body Address 

10275 W. Higgins Rd.
Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: 703-506-7667

ARC-PA Accreditation

Baylor’s Physician Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The ARC-PA is the accrediting agency that protects the interests of the public and PA profession by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs within the territorial United States to ensure their compliance with those standards. The ARC-PA does not accredit any academic degree awarded by the sponsoring institution of the PA program.

The ARC-PA encourages excellence in PA education through its accreditation process by establishing and maintaining standards of quality for educational programs. It awards accreditation to programs through a peer review process that includes documentation and periodic site visit evaluation to substantiate compliance with the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education. The accreditation process is designed to encourage sound educational practices and innovation by programs and to stimulate continuous self-study and improvement. Accreditation also benefits society by providing reasonable assurance of quality educational preparation for professional licensure and practice.

PA programs typically are subject to comprehensive evaluation on a ten-year cycle. A site visit or any periodic reporting by the program does not affect the accreditation status of a program.

ARC-PA Accreditation Standards

ARC-PA Accreditation Body Address: 

325 Paddocks Parkway
Suite 345
Suwanee, Georgia 30024
Phone: 770-476-1224

ASTMH Accreditation

Baylor’s Diploma in Tropical Medicine consists of four modules and lab practical. The course is accredited by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). With this accreditation, participants who complete the course are eligible to apply for the ASTMH Certificate of Knowledge Examination (provided additional examination application criteria are met).

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, founded in 1903, is the largest international scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health.

Criteria for ASTMH-approved Diploma Course

ASTMH Accreditation Body Address:

241 18th Street South
Suite 501
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: 571-351-5409

COA Accreditation

The Doctor of Nursing Practice Program-Nurse Anesthesia is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), the accrediting agency for the “accreditation of institutions and programs of nurse anesthesia at the post-master’s certificate, master’s or doctoral degree levels in the United States, and its territories, including programs offering distance education.” The Council on Accreditation is responsible for establishing the standards and policies for nurse anesthesia educational programs subject to consideration by its communities of interest. The standards address governance, resources, program of study, program effectiveness and accountability. Compliance with the standards forms the basis for accreditation decisions made by the Council.

The accreditation process for an established program is based on self-evaluation by the program and a site visit by a team of two or three reviewers. The process is repeated at intervals of up to ten years and may be supplemented by progress reports. A summary report of the review and the program’s response to the report are presented to the Council for an accreditation decision.

Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs

COA Accreditation Body Address: 

10275 W. Higgins Rd.,
Suite 906
Rosemont, IL 60018-5603
Phone: 7224-275-9130

CAAHEP Accreditation

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), which is a programmatic postsecondary accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CAAHEP carries out its accrediting activities in cooperation with 25 review Committees on Accreditation.

Each Committee on Accreditation (CoA) in the CAAHEP system works directly with programs in its discipline throughout the accreditation process. As outlined in the CAAHEP Policy & Procedures, CoAs must utilize core elements in reviewing programs and formulating recommendations to CAAHEP.

NCOPE Accreditation

The Orthotics and Prosthetics Program is accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE), the organization responsible for accrediting orthotic, prosthetic and orthopedic education programs including clinical residency. In partnership with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), NCOPE leverages evidence-based accreditation practices to demonstrate its dedication to enhancing the profession. NCOPE is committed to enhancing the technical and clinical services delivered by the students and residents today, and in their future practice.

NCOPE’s accreditation process is a valuable service to students, the education and residency programs, the profession, and the public. These processes benefit each group of stakeholders in a different way:

• Students are able to identify those O&P educational and residency programs that meet their chosen profession’s standards for a quality, relevant education. Graduation from an accredited program is required for certification.
• Educational Programs benefit from the self-evaluation and self-directed improvement provided by the accreditation process. Accreditation status increases opportunities for public and private funding for both the institution and its students.

CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines

NCOPE Accreditation Manual

CAAHEP Accreditation Body Address: 

9355 - 113th St. N
#7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727-210-2350

NCOPE Accreditation Body Address: 

330 John Carlyle St.
Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-836-711

LCME Accreditation

Baylor’s M.D. Program is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), joint committee representing American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges. LCME accreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether the medical education program meets established standards.

Programs are required to demonstrate that their graduates exhibit general professional competencies that are appropriate for entry to the next stage of their training and that serve as the foundation for lifelong learning and proficient medical care. This process also fosters institutional and programmatic improvement.

Baylor College of Medicine was last accredited in 2021 and is set for its next review in 2029. 

LCME Standards

LCME Accreditation

LCME Accreditation Body Address: 

655 K Street NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20001-2399
Phone: 202-828-0596

All proposals for new academic programs, including certificates and degrees, must comply with the college’s 30.1.02 - Academic Program Approval Policy. 

Notification to SACSCOC Liaison of Proposed Changes

Upon becoming aware of the proposed change that may be substantive, responsible parties should fill out the Substantive Change Form, gather appropriate supervisor signatures and submit the form to the SACSCOC Liaison and OAEE. OAEE and/or the SACSCOC Liaison will notify the unit of whether the proposed program qualifies as a substantive change and, if so, will provide guidance regarding the development of the substantive change notification or prospectus.

External Reporting to SACSCOC

SACSCOC Approval of a Full Prospectus

• Offering a 50% or more of the credit/clock hours needed to complete a degree, certificate, or diploma at a new off-campus instructional site
• Altering significantly the length of a program. Note: Rule of thumb for significant alteration in length is increasing or decreasing the number of credit/clock hours by 25% or more
• Adding significantly different programs to the academic curriculum at the College
• Initiating a new branch campus

Written SACSCOC Request and SACSCOC Prior Approval

• Inactivating/closing a program, when a program stops admitting students, with internal teach-out protocol.
• Inactivating/closing a program, when a program stops admitting students, with a teach-out agreement with another institution.

Written SACSCOC Notification Prior to Implementation of Change

• Initiating an off-campus site where students can obtain 25-49% of credits/clock hours of a certificate/degree.
• Initiating programs/courses offered through contractual agreement or consortium including a dual award academic program with another institution.
• Initiating dual awards with another institution not accredited by SACSCOC.

No SACSCOC Notification Necessary

• Initiating an off-campus site where students can obtain 24% or less of credits/clock hours of a certificate/degree.
• Offering established instructional programs at an approved and established off-campus site.
• Initiating a certificate or degree program using existing approved courses

SACSCOC Substantive Change Tracking

• Baylor College of Medicine Substantive Changes

Baylor College of Medicine Forms

• Substantive Change Form
• Substantive Change Quick Reference Guide

Policies and Procedures

• Baylor College of Medicine Substantive Change Policy (Baylor Login Required)
• Baylor College of Medicine Academic Program Approval Policy (Baylor Login Required)
• SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures