Accreditation and Approvals

Original Accreditation: January 1963 to March 1997

New Grant: November 4, 2011

The baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing and post-graduate APRN certificate at West Coast University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The entry-level MSOT Program at WCU received accreditation in December 11, 2014 from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-2682, and their web address is acoteonline.org. Program 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,  states require licensure to practice; however, state licensure is 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.

West Coast University's Doctor of Occupational therapy program received accreditation on July 26, 2019 from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-2682, and their web address is acoteonline.org. Program 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), Inc.  After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR).  Though most states require licensure in order to practice, the state licenses are usually contingent on successful passage of the NBCOT Certification Examination.  A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination as well as eligibility to obtain state licensure.   

Programmatic Accreditation

West Coast University School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program  is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60603-4810, 312-644-3575; fax 866-228-26431, web site www.acpe-accredit.org.

Accreditation Disclosure

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredits Doctor of Pharmacy programs offered by Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy in the United States and selected non-US sites.  For a Doctor of Pharmacy program offered by a new College or School of Pharmacy, ACPE accreditation generally involves three steps; Precandidate status, Candidate status and Accredited status.  

Precandidate status denotes a developmental program that is expected to mature in accord with stated plans and within a defined time period.  Precandidate status is awarded to a new program of a College or School of Pharmacy that has not yet enrolled students in the professional program and authorizes the School to admit its first class.  

Candidate status is awarded to a Doctor of Pharmacy program that has students enrolled but has not yet had a graduating class. 

Accredited status is awarded to a program that has met all ACPE standards for accreditation and has graduated its first class.  Graduates of a class designated as having Candidate status have the same rights and privileges of those graduates from a fully accredited program.  ACPE conveys its decisions to the various boards of pharmacy and makes recommendations in accord with its decisions.  It should be noted, however, that decisions concerning eligibility for licensure by examination or reciprocity reside with the respective state boards of pharmacy in accordance with their state statutes and administrative rules.  

The Doctor of Pharmacy program of the West Coast School of Pharmacy was awarded Accredited status during the June 20-24, 2018, meeting of the ACPE Board of Directors based upon an on-site evaluation conducted April 3-5, 2018, and discussion with University and School officials.  

PLEASE NOTE THAT LICENSURE TO PRACTICE AS  A PHARMACIST IS REQUIRED IN EVERY STATE.  HOWEVER, THE EXAM AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS VARY BY STATE.  IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESEARCH THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE STATE IN WHICH YOU PLAN TO PRACTICE.  

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the West Coast University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by West Coast University.

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation. Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-west-coast-university/

To become a certified PA (PA-C), one must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). In addition, students must obtain state medical board registration/licensure. The licensure requirements will vary from state to state.

A PA may not begin working as a Physician Assistant in most states until he/she has successfully passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) AND has been licensed/ registered by the state in which they practice.  There may be exceptions for certain state licensures or for federal employment, such as the military and Veterans Administration.  Failure to complete all necessary steps may constitute practicing medicine without a medical license.  Upon graduation, students are responsible for ensuring they obtain all required licenses and certifications. West Coast University is not responsible for registration or licensing; the student is solely responsible for all such requirements and verifying proper authorizations to practice medicine have been obtained.