About Us

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation

Southern California University of Health Sciences is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

Programmatic Accreditation and Approval

Programmatic accreditation ensures that academic programs meet certain professional standards. This process not only protects students but also maintains criteria for professional certification in the field. There isn’t programmatic accreditation for all fields or programs so if your program doesn’t have an accreditor listed it means there is no programmatic accreditation available.

The Doctor of Chiropractic degree program at Southern California University of Health Sciences – Los Angeles College of Chiropractic is awarded programmatic accreditation by The Council on Chiropractic Education, 8049 North 85th Way, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258-4321, Phone: (480)443-8877, Website: www.cce-usa.org.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program at SCU (California campus) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652- AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. The initial accreditation decision will be determined at CAPTE’s fall meeting in October of 2027. Graduates of the charter class will be eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination in October of 2027, the first time that the exam is offered after graduation in August of 2027. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT: www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.

Southern California University of Health Sciences is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. On November 1, 2024, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) does not accredit PPOTD programs. However, ACOTE does accredit entry-level occupational therapy programs like SCU’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy programs. SCU’s PPOTD program is covered under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

The following programs offered by Southern California University of Health Sciences are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM):

  1. Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
  2. Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
    • Including a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine degree completion track

The programs listed above may offer courses via distance education. ACAHM does not accredit any programs at the undergraduate/bachelor level. Accreditation status and notes may be viewed on the ACAHM Directory.

ACAHM is recognized by the United States Department of Education as the specialized accreditation agency for institutions/programs preparing acupuncture practitioners. ACAHM is located at 500 Lake Street, Suite 204, Excelsior, Minnesota 55331; phone 952/212-2434; https://acahm.org

Currently, there is no specific programmatic accreditation available for Whole Health Leadership programs. However, SCU’s Doctor of Whole Health Leadership program is covered under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

ARC-PA does not provide programmatic accreditation for the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program and there is currently no programmatic accreditation available for DMSc program. However, SCU’s Doctor of Medical Science program does fall under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

The following programs offered by Southern California University of Health Sciences are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM):

  1. Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
  2. Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
    • Including a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Degree completion track

The programs listed above may offer courses via distance education. ACAHM does not accredit any programs at the undergraduate/bachelor level. Accreditation status and notes may be viewed on the ACAHM Directory.

ACAHM is recognized by the United States Department of Education as the specialized accreditation agency for institutions/programs preparing acupuncture practitioners. ACAHM is located at 500 Lake Street, Suite 204, Excelsior, Minnesota 55331; phone 952/212-2434; https://acahm.org

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Southern California University of Health Sciences Master of Science: Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Southern California University of Health Sciences. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2030. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website: www.arc-pa.org

Currently, there is no specific programmatic accreditation available for Master of Science in Medical Science programs. However, SCU’s Master of Science in Medical Science program is covered under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

The Master of Science in Genetic Counseling program has been officially approved by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling as an Accredited, New Program. The ACGC is located at 1660 International Drive, Suite 600, McLean, VA 22102, www.gceducation.org. ACGC can be reached by phone at 703-506-7667.

SCU has received accreditation approval from the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC) Senior Colleges and Universities Commission (WSCUC) to offer the Master of Science Degree in Genetic Counseling.

Currently, there is no specific programmatic accreditation available for Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genomics programs. However, SCU’s Master of Science in Human Genetics and Genomics program is covered under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

Currently, there is no specific programmatic accreditation available for Bachelor of Science in Health Science programs. However, SCU’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science program is covered under SCU’s institutional accreditation by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Phone: (510) 748-9001.

The Ayurvedic Wellness Educator Program is recognized by the Ayurvedic Accreditation Commission (AAC) and has also been awarded Candidate for Accreditation status. The AAC is a programmatic accrediting agency for clinically focused Ayurvedic medical programs. AAC recognition status indicates that the program administer an approved course of study, thus ensuring well-trained professionals. Graduates of this program qualify to sit for NAMACB Certification Exams. For more information on AAC program recognition, please visit AAC Accredited Programs

State Authorizations

Southern California University of Health Sciences has met the qualifications for exemption from regulation under the Act, pursuant to California Education Code (CEC) Section 94874(i): An institution that is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The Doctor of Chiropractic program of the Southern California University of Health Sciences – Los Angeles College of Chiropractic is approved by the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The Masters of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcCHM) and the Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM) programs at Southern California University of Health Sciences are approved by the California Acupuncture Board.

Affiliations

  • Academy for Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM)
  • Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH)
  • American Academy of Chiropractic
  • American Chiropractic Association (ACA)
  • American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA)
  • American Public Health Association
  • Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC)
  • Association of Governing Boards of University/Colleges
  • Association for the History of Chiropractic
  • Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU)
  • California Academy of Physician Assistants (CAPA)
  • California Chamber of Commerc
  • California Chiropractic Association
  • California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA)
  • City of La Habra Move More, Eat Healthy Campaign
  • Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (CCAHM)
  • Foundation Chiropractic Education and Research
  • Integrative Health Policy Consortium (IHPC)
  • National Association of Colleges and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
  • National Association of Medical Minority Educators (NAMME)
  • Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)
  • Whittier Chamber of Commerce