Kent State nursing accreditation: CCNE by program and Ohio Board of Nursing approval
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits four levels of Kent State nursing: the bachelor's degree, the master's, the DNP and the post-graduate APRN certificate. The present CCNE term closes on December 31, 2028, with CCNE's next visit to campus planned for Spring 2028. The Ohio Board of Nursing approves the college to award the BSN. Here is what each approval covers, and how to answer a site or preceptor who asks.
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CCNE accreditation, program by program
The CCNE directory lists four Kent State nursing programs. Each has its own first-accreditation date, and all four now share one term.
| Program | First accredited | Last accredited | Term runs to | Next on-site visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate (the BSN; the catalog also lists the RN-to-BSN as CCNE accredited) | April 20, 2002 | March 14, 2018 | December 31, 2028 | Spring 2028 |
| Master's (the MSN) | April 20, 2002 | March 14, 2018 | December 31, 2028 | Spring 2028 |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | February 25, 2013 | March 14, 2018 | December 31, 2028 | Spring 2028 |
| Post-graduate APRN certificate | March 14, 2018 | March 14, 2018 | December 31, 2028 | Spring 2028 |
The last on-site evaluation took place in March 2018. Kent State's news release on that decision calls it the maximum 10-year CCNE term; the release page was refreshed in February 2026, but the decision itself dates from 2018.
What the 2028 dates mean for current students
For anyone enrolled in 2026-2027 the practical answer is short: your program is accredited now, and the current term runs to December 31, 2028. The Spring 2028 on-site visit is the next scheduled review, and the outcome follows it.
Students on a long part-time plan, or returning from a leave, may graduate after that visit. If a certification body or an employer asks, the CCNE directory is the place to check current status, since it updates when a decision posts. Kent State's catalog pages also name CCNE for the MSN, the DNP and the BSN.
Accreditation reaches your practicum in quieter ways too. Kent State's APRN rotation descriptions say the rule that each preceptor have at least a year of experience in the population focus and role is an accreditation requirement, which the preceptor requirements page covers. The Fall 2026 leave-of-absence revision also lets accreditation keep the degree clock running for certain nursing degrees; see the time limits page.
Ohio Board of Nursing approval
Kent State states that the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) approves its College of Nursing to award the baccalaureate nursing degree, and that its BSN graduates meet the educational eligibility for the NCLEX-RN.
OBN program approval is a pre-licensure matter. Its education rules in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4723-5 define a program as one leading to initial nurse licensure, and OBN regulated 200 pre-licensure programs in fiscal year 2024. No OBN approval process for graduate APRN programs, or for their preceptors, was found. For APRN licensure, OBN instead requires a graduate degree that qualifies you for an OBN-approved national certification.
That is why CCNE, not OBN, is the approval that speaks for Kent State's MSN, certificates and DNP. The Ohio APRN practice page covers what OBN regulates once you are licensed.
University accreditation and other recognition
Several other credentials sit around the CCNE accreditation. None replaces it, but each answers a different question a reviewer might raise.
- Higher Learning Commission: accredits Kent State University as an institution, the umbrella over every degree it awards.
- National League for Nursing: the College holds Center of Excellence designations for 2013-2017, 2017-2022 and 2022-2026.
- AGCNS curriculum: verified by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its ACCNS-AG certification.
- Continuing education provider: the College is approved by the Ohio Nurses Association, the basis for the continuing education it offers preceptors through PreceptED.
CCNE program accreditation is what the certification and licensure questions on this page turn on; the others describe the university as a whole or one specific offering. The Higher Learning Commission also serves as a complaint route for online students, covered on practicum outside Ohio.
Accreditation and your certification exam
Kent State says its APRN concentrations, APRN certificates and the BSN-to-DNP route qualify graduates for national certification and APRN licensure in Ohio, and concentration coordinators complete the certification and licensure paperwork. The exams Kent State names for each concentration:
| Concentration | Certification exams |
|---|---|
| FNP | ANCC or AANP family nurse practitioner |
| AGPCNP | ANCC or AANP adult-gerontology primary care NP |
| AGACNP | ANCC or AACN adult-gerontology acute care NP |
| PMHNP | ANCC psychiatric-mental health NP |
| AGCNS | ANCC AGCNS-BC or AACN ACCNS-AG |
| Pediatric Primary Care NP (not admitting) | PNCB primary care PNP |
| WHNP | No Kent State page names the certifying body; ask your coordinator |
Other states may add their own APRN requirements, such as exams or references, and Kent State lists the states where each program does not meet licensure requirements. See licensure disclosures.
What practicum sites and preceptors ask about the school
Hospital student-placement pages tend to ask about the school relationship more than the accreditation letter. Cleveland Clinic's graduate student page asks that you be in good standing and approved by your school, hold an active Ohio RN license, attend a school with a current Cleveland Clinic affiliation agreement, and earn academic credit. ProMedica asks for a valid contract behind every graduate placement, and Premier Health has students check that their school's contract is current.
Individual preceptors ask more personal questions: whether the program is accredited, how many hours the course needs, who the faculty contact is and what the evaluation involves. Short, accurate answers help:
- CCNE accreditation, in force through December 31, 2028, covers the MSN, the BSN, the post-graduate APRN certificates and the DNP at Kent State.
- The course number, credit load and hour target, taken from your syllabus.
- Your practicum faculty member, who contacts the preceptor at the start of the semester with syllabi and the Preceptor Guide to Typhon.
- The final evaluation, which the preceptor submits in Typhon.
Preceptors weighing a request can read precept a Kent State student for the rest.
Why Kent State students choose us to make the ask
A preceptor's yes depends on a clear, credible request. We approach preceptors and sites in your own community with the facts they want about Kent State and your course, matched to the exact practicum on your plan.
Then we build the review file: the preceptor's license, credentials and site details, the agency's onboarding requirements, and a flag if the College of Nursing needs to set up an affiliation agreement. Your practicum faculty and concentration coordinator hold final approval; our work is making sure the file reaches them whole. If a preceptor pulls out, a replacement search begins at once. Begin with the contact form.
Questions Kent State students ask
Is Kent State's online MSN accredited?
Yes. Kent State's master's program is accredited by CCNE, and the catalog lists every concentration, fully online or mostly online, under that one Nursing M.S.N. Its accreditation term lasts through December 31, 2028, and CCNE's next campus visit is scheduled for Spring 2028. You can confirm status any time in the CCNE directory.
Is Kent State's DNP accredited?
Yes. CCNE first accredited Kent State's Doctor of Nursing Practice on February 25, 2013, and it shares the current term with the college's other programs, running to December 31, 2028. The DNP is fully online, with three concentrations: Executive Nurse, Nurse Administration and Executive Leadership, and Practice Leadership.
Are Kent State's post-master's certificates accredited?
The post-graduate APRN certificate program is CCNE accredited, first on March 14, 2018, with the term running to December 31, 2028. The Nurse Educator and NAHSL certificates are not APRN tracks; Kent State says those concentrations lead to optional credentials that no state requires for practice.
Does the Ohio Board of Nursing approve Kent State's NP programs?
The Ohio Board of Nursing approves Kent State to award the BSN, a pre-licensure program. No OBN approval process for graduate APRN programs was found. For APRN licensure, OBN looks for a graduate degree that qualifies you for an OBN-approved national certification, and Kent State says its APRN tracks do.
When is Kent State's next CCNE review?
In CCNE's directory, the next on-site evaluation falls in Spring 2028, a decade after the March 2018 visit. The current accreditation term runs to December 31, 2028. The directory is where CCNE posts each program's status, so check it before you quote a date to a site or employer.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-24
We check these pages against Kent State's own catalog, handbooks and program pages. Your MSN or DNP handbook, your syllabus, your practicum faculty and your concentration coordinator have the final word.
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