HIGH POINT, N.C., Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Point University’s School of Optometry has earned preliminary approval for accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), a significant milestone for the school as it prepares to welcome its inaugural class of students this summer.
HPU was recently informed by the ACOE that the School of Optometry has received preliminary approval for accreditation after it showed that it is developing in accordance with the council’s high standards. The ACOE will conduct an annual review of the school’s accreditation, and the council could consider the school for full accreditation during the 2030-31 academic year.
The preliminary approval for accreditation reflects years of planning and collaboration across HPU’s campus. It allows the School of Optometry to recruit, select and admit new students and start offering its Doctor of Optometry program. For prospective students, it provides an external assessment of the school’s development and readiness to begin educating future optometrists.
“Receiving preliminary approval is a defining milestone for the High Point University School of Optometry and a reflection of the extraordinary commitment of our faculty, staff and university leadership,” said Dr. Catherine Heyman, founding dean of the School of Optometry. “It brings us one step closer to welcoming our inaugural class and fulfilling our mission to prepare skilled, compassionate optometrists. We are building a program where students connect knowledge with patient care from the beginning, preparing them to make a lasting impact on their patients and communities.”
The School of Optometry is one of HPU’s newest academic schools and part of a $400 million academic expansion that came thanks to the university receiving three historic gifts totaling $100 million from three families.
The ACOE accreditation process began with HPU demonstrating the need for a Doctor of Optometry program and assessing its feasibility, resources and long-term sustainability. It also involved the School of Optometry developing the curriculum, recruiting faculty and leadership, establishing clinical education opportunities and creating the policies and processes needed to support student success.
In addition, the School of Optometry has opened the High Point Eye Institute in the city of High Point to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care to patients and families of all ages, from young children to older adults. By establishing the eye clinic, the school is building the clinical infrastructure, community partnerships and diverse patient population necessary to support its long-term mission of providing exceptional patient care and optometric education.
The optometry school is the latest academic school at HPU to achieve an accreditation milestone. High Point University has also achieved several other accreditation milestones recently, including:
The Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing earned national accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law received provisional approval from the American Bar Association earlier this year.
HPU’s Master of Healthcare Administration program received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, with a four-year initial term that runs through Spring 2030.
The Webb School of Engineering earned accreditation for its Bachelor of Science degree programs in computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the premier accreditation agency for engineering, computing and technology programs.
In 2023, the Workman School of Dental Medicine, the state’s only private dental school, received its initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Attachments
Alex Abrams High Point University 3369517926 aabrams1@highpoint.edu
