The Art Institute of Philadelphia Granted Accreditation by Middle States Commission on Higher Education

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Trustees and President Michael DePrisco announced today that The Art Institute of Philadelphia has been granted initial accreditation by The Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

"This is a significant and defining chapter of The Art Institute of Philadelphia's history," said John Mazzoni, president of The Art Institutes. "The recognition of the Middle States Commission is an important validation of how we have woven academic rigor into our core mission of preparing graduates for careers," he said. "The Art Institutes system of schools has always placed great importance on accreditation and its value for a student's educational investment." The Art Institute of Philadelphia also maintains programmatic accreditation with The Accrediting Commission of the American Culinary Federation (ACACF),  the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

The accreditation process was managed by a steering committee comprised of Art Institute of Philadelphia faculty and staff under the leadership of Ms. Heather Ramsey, director of institutional effectiveness, and Cherie Haines, associate professor of General Education, with focus on collegiate mission, strategic planning and assessment of student learning outcomes.

The Art Institute of Philadelphia currently offers 12 bachelor of science degree programs, nine associate of science degree programs and four diploma programs, and serves 3,244 students, as of Fall 2011.

The Art Institute of Philadelphia offers bachelor of science degree programs in Advertising, Audio Production, Culinary Management, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics and Web Design & Interactive Media. Associate of science degree programs are  offered in Culinary Arts, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, Visual Merchandising and Web Design & Interactive Media. Diploma programs are offered in Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry, Web Design & Development and Fashion Retailing.

The Art Institute of Philadelphia is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267.284.5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The Art Institute of Philadelphia is located at 1622 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. For more information, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia, email [email protected] or call 1.800.275.2474.

The Art Institute of Philadelphia is part of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of more than 50 schools located throughout North America. The Art Institutes schools provide an important source for design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important information.

SOURCE The Art Institute of Philadelphia