Professional Licensure or Certification Disclosure

This policy is in accordance with federal code amendment 34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v) effective as of July 1, 2020 and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) rules listed in the NC-SARA Manual 24.1.

Professional Licensure or Certification (PLC) pre-education requirements

The licensure boards in each state are responsible for establishing the requirements for licensure/certification for their state. The curriculum for programs customarily leading to licensure/certification at Central College have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in Iowa and to prepare students to apply for licensure exams in the State of Iowa. Students who intend to return or move to any state other than Iowa need to review the professional licensure disclosures pertaining to their program and consult with the appropriate state professional licensing board. These boards make the ultimate decision as to whether an individual is eligible to sit for licensure based on the rules and regulations in place at the time the individual submits their application for licensure.

Completion of a Central College degree program does not guarantee employment in any profession. States vary in what professions they require to be licensed and how licensure functions. Some states require an individual to graduate from an approved or accredited program. Others require an individual to “meet [the] certification requirements of a national organization”. A specific amount of training can also be required as well as passage of an exam based on a state requisite exam score. Often, licensed professionals must complete continuing education on an annual basis and that requirement lasts the duration of a health professional’s career.1 Prior to enrollment in a specific program, students are responsible for confirming all education, testing, and licensing requirements in their chosen field.

Documentation describing these accreditations and certifications are available for review upon request.

Below are the programs that customarily lead to licensure at Central College.

  • Accounting: Central College offers a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.  This program is designed to help students meet the educational requirements for CPA examination and licensure in Iowa. Click here to see additional requirements to obtain a CPA license in Iowa and other jurisdictions. All states and territories require 150 credit hours for licensure; and a B.S. in Accounting does meet the educational requirements for licensure as a CPA.

Below are the programs that customarily lead to certification at Central College.

  • Actuarial Science: Central College offers a Bachelor of Arts in Actuarial Science. This program is designed to help students prepare for the first 2-3 preliminary examinations required to achieve credentials with a professional actuarial organization. Students completing the program may also fulfill all educational requirements for the professional credentials.  More information on the exam process can be found here.
  • Biochemistry: The Biochemistry program is approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society (ACS) to certify graduating students in biochemistry who complete a bachelor’s degree meeting the ACS guidelines.
  • Chemistry: The Chemistry program is approved by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society (ACS) to certify graduating students in chemistry who complete a bachelor’s degree meeting the ACS guidelines. 
  • Strength and Conditioning: Central College offers a Bachelor of Arts in Strength and Conditioning. This program is designed to prepare students for the National Strength and Conditioning Association certification exam. The program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Condition Education (CASCE).

Programs Not Listed – If you have questions regarding any program not listed on the Professional Licensure page, please contact the Program Director where the program resides.

International Students – Prior to enrolling in any program at Central College, prospective students living and/or working outside of the United States should confirm with the appropriate certifying agency whether successful completion of any degree program at Central will meet the credentialing requirements for employment or for advanced/specialized educational programs of the country in which they intend to seek employment.

Students’ Responsibility – Students should review the specific academic requirements for the program in which they are enrolling, including those related to practicum or internship as well as pre-qualifications for licensure, such as the need for a criminal background check. We highly recommend that students contact the applicable licensure board(s) in their state of residence or in the state where they intend to obtain a license before beginning an academic program that results in licensure and prior to beginning any internship or practicum. Many licensure boards have additional requirements beyond successful degree completion to obtain a license.

In addition, be advised that state laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time. Changes in requirements can impact the program’s ability to meet educational requirements for licensure. It is the responsibility of the student completing the licensure program to check with the licensing board(s) in their state of residence or in the state in which they intend to obtain a license for the most recent information and requirements. Central College shall not be held liable if the student is unable to qualify for licensure or certification in any jurisdiction or cannot obtain a practicum/internship location.

General Disclosures –

This information will be reviewed and update annually; however, requirements are subject to change. All prospective and current students are responsible for contacting the appropriate agency or board in their jurisdiction to confirm licensing requirements and program compatibility prior to enrolling in an academic program.

Direct Disclosures-

All direct disclosures must be made directed to the individual student in writing, which may include email or other electronic communication. Central College is required to issue direct disclosures to individual students prior to enrollment if the institution determines that a programs curriculum does not meet the educational requirements for licensure in the student’s location.

Central College is required to issue direct disclosures to students who are currently enrolled if it determines that a program no longer meets the educational requirements for licensure in the student’s jurisdiction. These disclosures must occur within 14 days of making this determination, which may occur because:

  • The jurisdictions’ requirements have changed; or
  • The program’s curriculum has changed; or
  • The student’s location has changed. 

1 Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Planning a Continuing Health Professional Education Institute. Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2010. 1, Continuing Professional Development: Building and Sustaining a Quality Workforce. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219809/

 

Student Location Policy

This policy is in accordance with federal code amendment 34 CFR–PART §600.9(c)(2)(ii), effective as of July 1, 2020, and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) rules listed in the NC-SARA Manual.

The location of each student for the purpose of providing accurate professional licensure disclosure is determined as follows:

  • The “local address” field within the college’s Student Information System (SIS) will be recorded as each student’s location. This applies to all Central College students.
  • The college defines “local address” as the address where a student lives while taking classes in the upcoming term.

It is the student’s responsibility to inform the college if their location has changed during their enrollment for any reason. All students participating in activities outside of Iowa must notify the college of their change of location.

This policy applies to students in all modalities, including but not limited to, students who are enrolled in the following:

  • remote courses, including those taught in Central’s summer program
  • face-to-face courses
  • out-of-state learning placements including but not limited to clinical rotations, internships, community services, fellowships, undergraduate research, or student teaching
  • International Study

Definitions

  • National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement:SARA is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offer of postsecondary distance education. When states join SARA, they agree to follow uniform processes for approving their eligible institutions’ participation.  They also agree to deal with other states’ SARA institutions in a common way when those institutions carry out activities in SARA states other than their own.SARA’s policies help protect students and provide benefits to both states and institutions carrying out distance education in multiple states.  As of July 2019, 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are members of SARA.  About 1,993 colleges and universities are SARA members.
  • State of Residence: The state in which the student has legal residence.
  • Location: Address where a student lives while taking classes in the upcoming term. It is the place a student can be found or is most likely to sleep at night.
  • Time of Enrollment: The student’s initial enrollment into any Central College program and not the time of the student’s initial application to the institution.

 

State Authorizations & Licenses

 Central College has been approved by the State of Iowa to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. As a member of NC-SARA, Central College may provide distance learning coursework (both online and in the form of supervised field experiences) to residents of states other than Iowa. NC-SARA membership, however, does not grant reciprocity or exempt us from state professional licensing requirements. As a result, licensing requirements in Iowa may not be recognized as sufficient to obtain a license in any other state. To determine requirements, see the professional licensure disclosure information.

This agreement allows students from 49 participating states to file complaints with the State of Iowa where Central is based, rather than their own state of residence. More information may be found here.  

The only state that does not participate in SARA is California.

 

Professional Licensure

If you are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state before beginning the academic program located outside of your state.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate licensing board in his/her home state to confirm whether our program, at Central, will meet the requirements for licensure in that state.