For the first time in 167 years, St. Francis College will be accredited at the doctoral level, with NYSED review of the Ph.D. in Information Technology now underway.

St. Francis College is proud to announce that it has reached a milestone that no chapter in its 167-year history as seen before. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has approved a substantive change to expand the College’s scope of institutional accreditation to include its first doctoral (Ph.D.) credential.  For the first time, St. Francis College will hold accreditation at the doctoral level, a distinction that reflects the academic rigor, institutional readiness, and community commitment emblematic of our College for generations.

This milestone is the first of two required steps in bringing the Ph.D. to life. MSCHE's approval of the accreditation scope expansion is Step One, and it is the foundational achievement that makes everything else possible. Step Two is the formal review and approval of the Ph.D. in Information Technology by the New York State Education Department (NYSED); a process is currently underway. Only upon receiving NYSED approval may St. Francis College offer the program and begin enrolling students.

The Ph.D. in Information Technology through the St. Francis Graduate School of Advanced Studies will offer 4 concentrations in Artificial Intelligence for IT Operation (AIOps), Cyber Resilience, Data Governance and Responsible AI, and Urban / Public-Interest IT, four of the most critical and fastest-growing fields in the modern workforce.
The program is intentionally designed to broaden access and reduce common barriers for professionals and graduate students who are seeking doctoral credentials to advance in industry, consulting, public service, and higher education.  With its Brooklyn roots and Franciscan mission, St. Francis College is aiming to build a diverse doctoral community from across the New York metropolitan area, one that reflects the lived experience, ambition, and talent of the region itself.
 

This achievement reflects the extraordinary dedication of SFC's faculty, administrators, staff, and institutional partners who devoted countless hours to developing a rigorous and innovative doctoral program. From the Ph.D. Task Force, led by Dr. Gale Gibson Gayle, with members Drs. John Edwards, Chih-Yuan (Alen) Li, Lavinia Ciungu, Shuxin (Erika) Zhou, Prof. Keith Hoell, and Director Sagine Relyea, to the site visit team, peer evaluators, and academic administrators, this accreditation expansion was earned through intense, intentional, and highly strategic collaboration.

As NYSED's review progresses, St. Francis College looks forward to the next milestone in this journey. Prospective students, faculty, and partners are encouraged to follow sfc.edu for updates. When NYSED approval is received, enrollment information will be made available.