Accreditation and Affiliations

Accreditation

The Northwest Institute of Literary Arts is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) (www.detc.org). DETC, a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (www.chea.org), is the only distance education accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation by DETC is also recognized by the Washington State Professional Educational Standards Board.

Authorization

The Northwest Institute of Literary Arts is authorized by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree Authorization Act. This authorization is subject to periodic review and authorizes the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts to offer the following degree program: Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Authorization by the HECB does not carry with it an endorsement by the board of the institution or its programs. Any person desiring information about the requirements of the Act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the HECB office at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430.

Affiliation

The Northwest Institute of Literary Arts is a member in good standing of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). The MFA Program Director is an active member of AWP's low-residency program directors' caucus.