Accreditation and Authorization
Academic and Institutional Accreditation
Shepherds Theological Seminary is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) [PO Box 328, Forest, VA 24551; Telephone: 434.525.9539; email info@tracs.org] having been awarded Accredited status as a Category III institution by the TRACS Accreditation commission on November 2, 2009; this status is effective for a period of five years.
Accredited status indicates that the institution has provided evidence that it is in substantive compliance with TRACS Standards and Criteria (http://www.tracs.org), has been peer evaluated after completing a self-study, and in the professional judgment of the on-site evaluation team and the Accreditation Commission, the institution provides quality instruction, student services, adequate facilities, etc. Accredited institutions have achieved this level of recognition through continuous self-study and evaluation.
TRACS is a national accreditation body offering institutional accreditation to Christian colleges, universities and seminaries. It is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). TRACS grants accreditation solely to Christian colleges and universities.
Shepherds is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA - http://www.chea.org/) permitted by accreditation by a CHEA-recognized accrediting organization. Recognition by CHEA affirms that the standards and processes of the accrediting organization are consistent with the academic quality, improvement and accountability expectations that CHEA has established, including the eligibility standard that the majority of institutions or programs each accredits are degree-granting.
Authorization to Grant Degrees
Degree programs of study offered by Shepherds Theological Seminary have been declared exempt from the requirements for licensure by the General Administration of the University of North Carolina under the provisions of North Carolina General Statutes Section (G.S.) 116-15(d) for exemption from licensure with respect to religious education. Exemption from licensure is not based upon any assessment of program quality under established licensing standards.
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
- Master of Arts in Christian Ministry (M.A.C.M.) with majors in: Church Ministry, Biblical Counseling and Biblical Literature.
- Bachelor of Theology (Th.B.)
- Associate of Christian Ministry (A.C.M.) with majors in: Church Ministry, Biblical Counseling and Biblical Literature.
- Certificate of Graduate Study (C.G.S.)
Corporate Authorizations
Shepherds Theological Seminary is led by an independent Board of Directors bound by approved by-laws; is authorized by the State of North Carolina to operate as a non-profit corporation exclusively for religious education purposes; and is a non-profit corporation under Internal Revenue Service code of 1986, as amended, section 501(c)(3) and section 170(c)(2).
Affiliation
Veterans Educational Benefits - Shepherds Theological Seminary has been approved by the US Department of Veteran's Affairs and the North Carolina State Approving Agency to enroll students who are entitled to educational benefits under Titles 38 and 10 of the United States Code.
Title IV Benefits - Shepherds Theological Seminary is seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the Title IV Program, which offers students access to Federal Direct Loans, and loan repayment deferments.
International Students - Shepherds Theological Seminary is seeking authorization by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) to issue I-20 forms through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to enroll nonimmigrant international students.