State authorizations

Within the office of institutional effectiveness, regulatory compliance is responsible for university readiness to meet state and federal consumer protection requirements. This includes facilitating compliance with the U.S. Department of Education's program integrity rules as well as meeting state authorization regulations tied to the delivery of distance education coursework.

SCAD was approved to join the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) on Feb. 5, 2016. Under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), SCAD is authorized to operate eLearning courses across the United States and its territories.

Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission

SCAD has complied with the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 20-3-250.3 (a)(10)(11) and is in compliance with Georgia's Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

South Carolina Commission on Higher Education

SCAD is licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (1122 Lady St., Suite 300, Columbia, SC 29201; telephone number 803.737.2260). Licensure indicates only that minimum standards have been met; it is not an endorsement or guarantee of quality. Licensure is not equivalent to or synonymous with accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Professional Licensure Programs

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in interior design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, and as such, meets the educational requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

The Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, and as such, meets the education requirements for licensure in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.