As part of its oversight of Mississippi’s eight public universities, the Board of Trustees is also responsible for the establishment of rules, regulations, and uniform standards for accreditation of nursing schools within the state.
All nursing degree programs in Mississippi not only meet mandatory state accreditation standards, but also have achieved or are in the process of achieving accreditation by one of the three national, non-profit accrediting bodies: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA). The Board of Trustees recognizes that from one of these bodies is desirable because of the quality of standards, emphasis placed on outcomes, and importance in the national marketplace for recruiting faculty and students.
- Accreditation Standards for Mississippi-based Nursing Degree Programs
- Accreditation Standards Procedure Manual for Mississippi-based Nursing Degree Programs
- Out-of-State Programs Reviewed
- Notification of Intent to Conduct Research involving Schools of Nursing in Mississippi
- 2025 Annual Report for Mississippi Nursing Degree Programs
- 2025 Approved Accreditation of Mississippi Nursing Degree Programs
Out-of-state undergraduate and/or graduate nursing education degree programs offering clinical experiences in Mississippi are expected to maintain the standards required of the Mississippi-based programs.
The Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation (MCCA) serves as the state portal agency for the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) and the state regulator for postsecondary academic degree granting institutions. Institutions desiring to place nursing students in clinical practicums must be SARA participants. If not, the authorization for non-SARA Distance Education Programs through MCCA must be completed.
Clinical practicums in the state are considered domiciled and trigger a physical presence. Therefore, the program will need to be reviewed by IHL Nursing Education. This process may take up to three (3) months. If you wish to request a review of the nursing education program degree or have specific questions related to nursing education in Mississippi, contact Melissa Temple, director of nursing education.
