THE University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) has accredited five degree programmes in the College of Humanities, Behavioural and Social Sciences at Northern Caribbean University (NCU).

Dean of the College Dr Marilyn Anderson said the accreditation would be great news for graduates, some of whom would have been receiving diploma salaries.

“I am pleased with all the departments in the college which have had their programmes accredited,” she said. “The faculty consistently raises the academic standard, which has the students achieving at higher levels and their critical thinking skills are even more evident when you dialogue with any of them; they are aware and can articulate concepts that support the practical component

” The five programmes are the bachelor’s and associate degrees in mass communication, the bachelor’s degree in social work, the associate degree in family life education, and the bachelor’s degree in history. UCJ has accredited a number of NCU’s degree programmes in the past.

Current students have been celebrating this latest round of accreditations. Mass communication student, Shelly-Ann Irving said she was pleased and proud to be an NCU student, especially now.

“It makes me even more convinced that I made the right choice in registering at NCU to pursue my degree in mass communication. We are provided with actual studio public relations campaigns and I engage in research and community work,” she said.

NCU, a Seventh-day Adventist institution, has been offering a range of degree programmes, in line with its expansion in the early 2000s, while constantly improving the programmes to meet accreditation standards.

Chair of the Department of Communication Studies Elaine Oxamendi Vicet said these accreditations prove that hard work pays.

She said NCU’s focus on Christ-centred education has helped produce more rounded students, who are professionally sound and civic-minded.

“Within the Department of Communication Studies (DCS), we strive to consistently raise the bar each semester as we endeavour to ensure that the DCS end product remains relevant in an ever-changing media world,” Oxamendi Vicet said.

Anderson said the faculty and staff of the college would continue to work towards the accreditation of all its programmes.