Education at OHSU

Education at OHSU

Accreditation

Aerial view of the OHSU campus at sunset

Accreditation is the recognition that a university or program meets strict education quality standards set by an independent accrediting agency. OHSU meets or exceeds these standards to offer our students the education they deserve.  

OHSU maintains accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. 

Visit the commission’s website for an explanation of accreditation. 

On this page, we'll cover: 

Recognition for accreditation at OHSU

In its reaffirmation of accreditation in 2023, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities commended OHSU’s:

  • Collaborative engagement across all sectors of the institution 
  • Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and to eliminating institutional and structural racism through allocation of human and fiscal resources 
  • Well-developed assessment processes, Assessment Academy and recognition of assessment excellence through the Provost's Assessment Awards

Institutional accreditation

Accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is a peer-evaluation process with a seven-year review cycle. The process starts with a self-evaluation detailing how well OHSU fulfills both our own mission and the commission’s accreditation standards. These standards cover student success, institutional mission and effectiveness, governance, resources and capacity.  

Visit the commission’s website for more on the accreditation process and standards. 

As an accredited institution, OHSU must complete regular on-site peer evaluations, annual reports and, when requested, other commission reports. We update the commission when we make any major institutional changes (such as administrative, financial or curricular changes). The commission also welcomes anyone to submit a complaint about OHSU.

Current accreditation status

OHSU is a member institution with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. OHSU’s accreditation status is “Accreditation Reaffirmed.” The commission’s most recent action on the institution’s accreditation status on February 27, 2023 was to reaffirm accreditation.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Current self-evaluation reports

Mid-cycle

In year three, OHSU submits a mid-cycle self-evaluation focusing on how we assess student learning, student support services and efforts in continuous educational improvement. Peer reviewers visit OHSU to confirm our report and determine our readiness for institutional effectiveness evaluation in year seven.

Latest documents (2025)

Year six

In the year six self-evaluation, OHSU provides a financial review as well as documentation of appropriate policies, procedures and regulations. The report confirms our compliance with accreditation standards. This report is reviewed without an on-site visit. 

Latest documents (2021–2022)

Year seven

In year seven, OHSU submits a report on the effectiveness of our institution. The report provides evidence that we’re not only meeting accreditation eligibility requirements and standards but also fulfilling our mission. Mission fulfillment is defined with indicators of effectiveness — visit the Institutional Effectiveness page for the latest information.

Peer reviewers perform a comprehensive on-site evaluation to confirm the materials provided in the year six and year seven reports. Reviewers also meet with faculty, students, staff, administration and our board of directors. The evaluation identifies areas of strength as well as opportunities for institutional improvement. 

Latest documents (2022–2023)

Specialized accreditation

Some OHSU programs maintain accreditation with organizations that specialize in the program’s field of study. Specialized accreditation assures students that these programs meet specific, nationwide standards for education quality.

School of Dentistry programs

Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 7
  • Initial accreditation: 1945
  • Previous accreditation action: 2017
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2019
  • Next review / action date: 2031

Endodontics (M.S., Graduate Certificate)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 7
  • Initial accreditation: 1995
  • Previous accreditation action: 2017
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2024
  • Next review / action date: 2031

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (M.S., Graduate Certificate)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 7
  • Initial accreditation: 1991
  • Previous accreditation action: 2017
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2024
  • Next review / action date: 2031

Periodontics (M.S., Graduate Certificate)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 7
  • Initial accreditation: 1991
  • Previous accreditation action: 2016
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2017
  • Next review / action date: 2025

School of Medicine programs

Dietetic Internship (Graduate Cert)

View information about our Human Nutrition M.S. program below.

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

Health & Clinical Informatics (M.S.)

Human Nutrition (M.S.)

View information about our Dietetic Internship graduate certificate program above.

Medical Physics (M.S. Ph.D.)

Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.)

Clinical Psychology (Ph.D.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: Varies, 3-10
  • Initial accreditation: 2022
  • Previous accreditation action: 2023
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023 - Accredited on Contingency
  • Next review / action date: 2025

Radiation Therapy (B.S.)

School of Nursing programs

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023  
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Family Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023  
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Health Systems, Organizational Leadership (M.N.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023  
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Nurse Anesthesia (D.N.P.)

Nurse Midwifery (D.N.P.)

Nursing (B.S., D.N.P.)

Nursing Education (M.N.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023  
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (D.N.P.)

  • Specialized accreditation agency: 
  • Years in cycle: 10  
  • Initial accreditation: 2003  
  • Previous accreditation action: 2013  
  • Most recent accreditation action: 2023  
  • Next review / action date: 2033

Joint degree programs

Degrees earned from the following programs are awarded jointly by OHSU and one of its partner institutions. These partners include Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech), Oregon State University (OSU) and Portland State University (PSU).

Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech)

Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

Emergency Medical Services – Paramedic (A.A.S)

Medical Laboratory Science (B.S.)

Oregon State University (OSU)

Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Portland State University (PSU)

Biostatistics (M.P.H., M.S., Graduate Certificate)

Community Health (Ph.D.)

Environmental Systems & Human Health (M.P.H.)

Epidemiology (M.P.H., Ph.D.)

Applied Health & Fitness (B.A., B.S.)

Health Management & Policy (M.P.H.)

Health Promotion (M.P.H.)

Health Systems & Policy (Ph.D.)

Healthcare Management (M.B.A.)

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

Public Health (Graduate Certificate)

Public Health Practice (M.P.H.)

Public Health Studies (B.A., B.S.)

Contact us

For more information on accreditation, please email Robert Halstead, Assistant Vice Provost for Accreditation, at halstear@ohsu.edu. 

Out-of-state authorization

Find information about out-of-state authorization for OHSU programs, distance learning policies and licensure requirements. 

Out-of-state authorization