Grand Canyon University's College of Theology and College of Education recently received accreditation by their respective governing boards.
The COT was affirmed by the Association of Theological Schools/Commission on Accrediting (ATS/COA) for an additional 10 years of specialized, seminary accreditation. This distinction fortifies GCU's stature as a Christian university.
Meanwhile, the COE was awarded seven years of accreditation for its initial teacher licensure programs, advanced educator programs and educational administration programs by the Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) Accreditation Commission.
COT, under Dr. Jason Hiles, the dean, is one of more 270 graduate schools of theology in the United States and Canada that are accredited by the ATS/COA. The COA, an independent branch of the ATS, oversees the evaluation, accreditation and consent of degree programs at member theological schools. The COA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education.
The ATS’ standards of accreditation include: mission and integrity, planning and evaluation, student learning and formation, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, library and information services, student services, faculty, governance, and administration and institutional resources.
GCU opened a new, 17,000-square-foot Grand Canyon Theological Seminary three years ago. The seminary includes a 4,000-square-foot theological library.
COT produced the first four graduates of its Barnabas pastoral program in 2024 and is playing a major role in expanding the Canyon Center for Character Education, thanks to a five-year, $10.7 million Kern Family Foundation grant it received in 2025.
And COT has welcomed several local pastors in mentoring students, especially those who seek a career in ministry.
The announcement of the COT’s decade of accreditation occurred shortly before the ATS’s biennial meeting, held in Rosemont, Illinois.
COE’s accreditation from the AAQEP occurred after a process that took more than 18 months and included data collection, analysis, report writing (three reports of about 400 pages each) and expanding its building to add the Ingram Honors College.
"This achievement reflects our shared commitment to Christ, to excellence, and to our mission of preparing educators who lead with purpose, serve with compassion, and make an impact in the lives of students and communities," said College of Education Dean Dr. Meredith Critchfield.
"This moment belongs to all of us in GCU’s College of Education community. Your work, both seen and unseen, both big and small, is what made this possible."
Last September, COE was selected to the Arizona Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program (AZ TRAP) in an effort to reduce Arizona’s teaching shortage. Critchfield and fellow COE officials have addressed teacher recruitment and retention at national education conferences across the country for several years. In 2024, COE created the National Center for Teacher Preparation to make higher education more accessible and assist working paraprofessionals transition into a bachelor’s or master’s degrees.
The COE’s advanced educator programs include reading and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
AAQEP accreditation is a nationally known quality assurance process that evaluates educator preparation programs through evidence-based review, peer evaluation and continuous improvement. Accreditation indicates that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and have demonstrated the ability to sustain that trait over time.
GCU senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
