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 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) 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. In 1995,
National participated in scheduled reaccreditation procedures, as
well as a focused site visit in 2000.
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.
Every 10 years, educational institutions accredited through the Higher Learning Commission are asked to go through a self-study process culminating in a site visit for reaccreditation purposes. From 2004-2005, the entire NUHS campus community was actively engaged in the self-study process, which is explained in the pamphlet, "A Century of Leadership" (PDF). The decennial site visit occurred on September 26-28, 2005.
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 requested approval of an associate of applied science degree in massage therapy to be offered in the College of Allied Health Sciences.
On February 20, 2006, NUHS received the updated statement of affiliation status from the Higher Learning Commission approving all requests for change as well as a full 10-year accreditation.
Massage Therapy Certification Program & Associate of Applied Science in Massage Therapy Degree
The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA), 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015, 202-895-1518, granted National's Massage Therapy Certification Program fully accredited status on October 25, 2002.
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 full 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.
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Programs Accredited by ACAOM
As of February 25, 2011, the master of science in acupuncture and the master of science in oriental medicine programs of the National University of Health Sciences were accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM), which is the recognized accrediting agency for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and oriental medicine practitioners. ACAOM is located at 8941 Aztec Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347, 301-313-0855; fax 301-313-0912. This full accreditation assures that NUHS graduates are eligible to sit for the licensing examinations conducted by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
National University of Health Sciences - St. Petersburg Campus
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."
Approvals and Listings
- Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- Florida Department of Education Commission for Independent Education
- Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs - Approval Agency for Veterans' Education, U.S. Code of veterans' benefits
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- All state board examiners in chiropractic
- All composite boards of medical examiners
- Canadian and various other foreign chiropractic boards of examiners
- U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service for attendance by non-immigrant students
- U.S. Department of Education
- Academic Directory Listings
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
- American Library Association
- Directory of Illinois Schools
- Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities
- HEP Higher Education Directory
- Illinois Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
- Medical Library Association
- National Association for College Admission Counseling
- Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges
