Accreditation

Stay apprised of our journey to earning full accreditation.

Importance of accreditation

Accreditation is a process where a group of experts evaluates a college or university to make sure it meets certain standards. It protects students.

There are two levels of accreditation:

• Institutional accreditation ensures that the college or university offers high-quality academic programs and has a sound financial foundation.
• Program-specific accreditation goes a step further by attesting that graduates of the program are qualified to practice a specific profession.

NEOMED is accredited

NEOMED, founded in 1973, has been continuously accredited for nearly 50 years. NEOMED is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with the most recent accreditation occurring in 2022. Learn about NEOMED’s additional accreditations.

Is the dental program accredited?

Before enrolling our first class, NEOMED must receive initial accreditation by both the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) AND the Commission on Dental Education (CODA).

Accreditation is always a process requiring many steps that cannot be cut short. NEOMED is extremely well-respected by the nation’s highest level of accreditation agencies across several medical and professional health care agencies. NEOMED has an exceptional track record of achieving accreditation.

Every modern doctor of dentistry program has travelled the process of accreditation application, accreditation review, initial accreditation and finally full accreditation. As the third dental program in the State of Ohio, NEOMED’s path will be no different.

Some interested prospective students ask, “Should I have any reservations about applying to a non-accredited dentistry program?” NEOMED’s advice is simple and clear. NEOMED will not accept a single application from a dental school candidate until we receive initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. We will not enroll any students in a non-accredited dental education program.

When will full accreditation be granted?

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) grants initial accreditation prior to a new program receiving applications for admission. CODA will only grant full accreditation after a class of students graduates, and student success is one of the criteria it will examine. This means that NEOMED is highly motivated to provide an exceptional student experience for the first class and afterward.

When does NEOMED plan to start the dentistry program and enroll the first class?

The answer to this question will be determined by the Higher Learning Commission and the Commission on Dental Accreditation. We can share that NEOMED intends to enroll in the inaugural class of new dental students in late summer 2025. This means that candidates would apply in the 2024-25 application cycle when NEOMED is approved to accept new students. NEOMED is planning to use the ADEA AADSAS^® (ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) for candidates to apply for admission. Neither our accreditors nor NEOMED will allow any students to apply for admission before NEOMED earns initial accreditation. Accreditors will also closely review our facilities’ plan to express their confidence that NEOMED will complete our new state-of-the-art facilities on campus prior to enrolling new students.

Related

• Third-party comments are welcome as part of our initial accreditation process.