What is NAST?

Accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Theatre means that Columbus State University offers an education that meets or exceeds the national standard and the education provides a base of academic strength and operational integrity.

The following is from NAST's Web site,

NAST, founded in 1969, is an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges and universities. It has approximately 140 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials.

Institutional membership is gained only through the peer review process of accreditation. Individual membership is available by application.

What does accreditation mean?

Accreditation is a non-governmental system of academic review. It is a process which periodically evaluates and produces an independent judgment by peers about the extent to which an institution or program achieves its own educational objectives and meets the standards established by an Association. Standards address operational and curricular issues fundamental to educational quality.

The granting of accredited membership by the Commission on Accreditation signifies that an institution has successfully demonstrated compliance with the procedures, standards, and guidelines of the association. Integral to this voluntary process is ongoing, regular self-evaluation, and peer review.

Accreditation, in practical terms, is a stamp of approval, a sign that an institution ascribes to, believes in, and has met an external set of basic criteria for the programs it offers. In some cases, accreditation assists in the transfer of credits from one institution to another. In all cases, it indicates that threshold standards are adhered to in a fashion that provides a base of academic strength and operational integrity.