Accreditation & Licensing

Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School (ACTS) is a California-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a religious purpose. ACTS is exempt from oversight by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), as a higher education institution that exclusively offers religious instruction and degrees, as stated in the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009.

ACTS is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Now accepting applications for admission from the students located in the following U.S. states:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina , South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Virginia, West Virginia , and Wisconsin.

ACTS is not regulated in Texas under Chapter 132 of the Texas Education Code because it is physically located in California, is legally authorized to operate in California through the BPPE exemption described above, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), and offers only distance education programs of instruction to Texas residents.

Degree programs of study offered by Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Coptic Orthodox Theological School (ACTS) have been declared by the appropriate state authority exempt from the requirements for licensure, under provisions of North Carolina General Statues Section (G.S.) 116-15 (d) for exemption from licensure with respect to religious education. Exemption from licensure is not based upon assessment of program quality under established licensing standards.

Students living outside the United States are welcome to apply (see International Applicants information).

Student Complaints Statement

The State Authorization Unit of the University of North Carolina System Office serves as the official state entity to receive complaints concerning post-secondary institutions that are authorized to operate in North Carolina. If students are unable to resolve a complaint through the institution’s grievance procedures, they can review the Student Complaint Policy (PDF) and submit their complaint using the online complaint form at Student Complaints Site

For more information contact:

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
223 S. West Street, Suite 1800
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 962-4550

To file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, please visit The State Attorney General’s web page at: NCDOJ site. North Carolina residents may call (877) 566-7226. Outside of North Carolina, please call (919) 716-6000. En Espanol (919) 716-0058. If you choose to mail a complaint, please use the following address:

Consumer Protection Division
Attorney General’s Office
Mail Service Center 9001
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001