Accreditation

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Accreditation

National University of Health Sciences is proud to be a leader in advocating for and obtaining certification and accreditation for chiropractic education institutions, and continues this commitment to full accreditation of all of its programs.

Accreditation History

In 1942, National became a not-for-profit educational and research institution in accord with the corporate laws of Illinois and the requirements of the United States Department of the Treasury governing tax-exempt institutions. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Illinois granted official status to National University as a degree-granting institution in 1966 for both the bachelor of science in human biology and the doctor of chiropractic degrees.

Also in 1966, National was fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Chiropractic Education of the American Chiropractic Association. Complaints regarding possible non-compliance with the standards of that body should be addressed to the Commission on Accreditation, 8049 N. 85th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85258-4321, 480-443-8877. The doctor of chiropractic program was also approved by registration with the State Education Department of the State of New York in 1972.

In 1974, the college was recognized as a Candidate for Accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and was accredited by North Central in 1981. The university is accredited now by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413, 800-621-7440, 312-263-0456.

The chiropractic college started evolving into a university concept between 1993 and September 2000, when the institution officially changed from a college to a university and was renamed National University of Health Sciences (NUHS). The Massage Therapy Certification Program was introduced in 1999 as part of the university plan to expand its program offerings.

In May 2004, National University submitted a request for change to the HLC to add two master’s degree programs, the master of science degree in diagnostic imaging and the master of science in advanced clinical practice, which received HLC approval in October 2004.

In September 2005, National University submitted a request for change to include approval for a doctor of naturopathic medicine program, for which it had retained a full-time program director. The September 2005 request for change also included a request for approval of two degree programs that had been in planning stages for several years, a master of science in acupuncture and a master of science in oriental medicine. In addition, National University requested approval of an associate of applied science degree in massage therapy to be offered in the College of Allied Health Sciences.

In July 2016, NUHS received a full 10-year reaccreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

In April 2022, NUHS received approval to offer Distance Education courses and programs.

Massage Therapy Certification Program & Associate of Applied Science in Massage Therapy Degree

The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 302, Arlington, Virginia, 22201, Phone – 202-888-6790, Fax – 202-888-6767, granted National’s Massage Therapy Certification Program fully accredited status on October 25, 2002. The program was reaccredited by COMTA in October 2017.

The associate of applied science degree in massage therapy is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413, 800-621-7440, 312-263-0456.

Naturopathic Medicine Program Accredited by CNME

National University’s Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine program was granted accreditation by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) on October 13, 2012. Accreditation status allows NUHS graduates to sit for the NPLEX examinations, which are the gateway to practice in licensed states. The program was reaccredited by CNME in October 2016.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Programs Accredited by ACAHM

National University of Health Sciences plans to offer a new Doctor of Acupuncture (DAc) program. The graduate degree program is designed to accommodate students from across the United States and beyond to prepare its graduates for leadership in the field of acupuncture and integrative medicine.

NUHS has been approved to offer the DAc to students. It is the normal first step in the accreditation process. The program must be active with students before it can be reviewed for accreditation. Therefore, the following ACAHM statement is shared to be transparent with all students entering the new DAc program.

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

Master of Acupuncture [currently named Master of Science in Acupuncture]
Master of Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization [currently named Master of Science in Oriental Medicine]

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 and Oriental medicine practitioners. ACAHM does not accredit any programs at the undergraduate/bachelor level. ACAHM is located at 8941 Aztec Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347; phone 952/212-2434; www.ACAHM.org

The entry-level Doctor of Acupuncture program offered by National University of Health Sciences is approved to begin enrolling students but is not accredited or pre-accredited by ACAHM. This program is eligible for ACAHM accreditation, and NUHS is currently in the process of seeking ACAHM accreditation for the program. However, NUHS can provide no assurance that pre-accreditation or accreditation will be granted by ACAHM. Graduates of an unaccredited program are not considered to have graduated from an ACAHM-accredited or pre-accredited program and may not rely on ACAHM accreditation or pre-accreditation for professional licensure or other purposes.

Graduates of the Doctor of Acupuncture program can pursue the greatest level of training in the profession by earning a Doctor of Acupuncture degree. Students who participate in our DAc program graduate with a thorough knowledge of both traditional and contemporary applications of acupuncture as well as Chinese medical theory. Our program’s hallmarks include rigorous academic training and early clinical exposure. The final year of the curriculum is taught exclusively online, asynchronously.

There are numerous advantages to becoming a doctor of acupuncture, but we’ve selected the top four:

You will acquire degree parity with current acupuncture doctors and other medical specialists (DC, ND, DPT, OT.D, etc.).
In the future, in order to teach in Doctor of Acupuncture programs and other doctorate programs, one will need to possess a doctoral level degree.
Students with a Doctor of Acupuncture degree have an advantage over those with a Master’s degree in terms of the job market.
Become a published author and specialist in research. Research Focused courses are required of DAc students. Graduates will be equipped to add to the body of knowledge in the area of acupuncture.

This full accreditation, which took place February 25, 2011, assures that NUHS graduates are eligible to sit for the licensing examinations conducted by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). The program was reaccredited by ACAOM in February 2016.

Chiropractic Medicine Program Accredited by CCE

National University of Health Sciences’ chiropractic degree program in Lombard, Illinois, has been accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) since 1971, and by its predecessor, the American Chiropractic Association Committee on Accreditation since 1966.

In December 2008, National University accommodated a focused site visit from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association in St. Petersburg, Florida, to seek approval for the offering of a doctor of chiropractic medicine program on the campus of St. Petersburg College (SPC) through its University Partnership Center. The HLC gave approval for the program in April 2009. In August 2009, NUHS received notification from the CCE that it had accepted NUHS’ application for a substantive change to extend its accreditation to include an identical chiropractic program to be offered at St. Petersburg College. The program opened in September 2009.

On July 29, 2011, the University received notice from the CCE advising: “The Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program at the National University of Heath Sciences is awarded programmatic accreditation at both the Illinois campus and the Florida site by the Council on Chiropractic Education, 8049 North 85th Way, Scottsdale, AZ, 85258-4321, Phone: (480) 443-8877, Website: www.cce-usa.org.” The Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree program at both the Florida site and Illinois campus was reaccredited in January 2018.

Approvals

NC-SARA

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state.