Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS) is a private university located in

Whittier, California Whittier () is a city in Southern California in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, part of the Gateway Cities. The city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 United States ...

and specializing in the

health sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to health sciences: Health sciences are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. Health sciences relate to multiple ac ...

. Academics are organized into four colleges and schools: the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, the College of Eastern Medicine, the College of Science & Integrative Health, and the School of Professional Studies. SCUHS programs include

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...

and

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

(TCM), which are regarded by the mainstream medicine and science communities as

pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or falsifiability, unfa ...

. The university is accredited by the

WASC Senior College and University Commission The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa ...

History

Originally a

chiropractic Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudosci ...

school, SCUHS began as Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC) at its founding on October 18, 1911 by Dr. Charles Cale and his wife Linnie Cale. The first graduating class had only three students, and classes were taught in the Cales' private residence. By 1912, the school had moved to an opera house in Los Angeles and had grown to 113 students. In 1922, the

Chiropractic Initiative Act of 1922 Proposition 16, also known as the Chiropractic Initiatives Act, was a California initiated state statute proposed and passed in 1922 to allow for the creation of a state board of chiropractic examiners. Proposition 16 passed with 481,600 ''Yes'' v ...

passed, allowing the state to create a board of chiropractic examiners. This act served as a catalyst for the creation of many other chiropractic institutions in California, most of which LACC would acquire within the next three decades. In the 1940s, the California Chiropractic Educational Foundation acquired several remaining colleges in California, including LACC. They reorganized the colleges, keeping the name Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, and moved the school's location to Glendale, California in 1950. In 1971 this campus received a $3 million renovation following damage sustained in the

1971 San Fernando earthquake The 1971 San Fernando earthquake (also known as the 1971 Sylmar earthquake) occurred in the early morning of February 9 in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California. The unanticipated thrust earthquake had a magnitude o ...

. In 1981, the college moved to its current location in Whittier, California after purchasing a new 38-acre campus on the former site of Lowell High School. LACC was first accredited in 1993 by the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...

. It was the only chiropractic college accredited by the WASC at the time. From 1999 to 2000, LACC added a College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and reorganized itself into the Southern California University of Health Sciences to house both programs. As of 2020, the university continued to grow, adding two new masters programs; Master of Science in Medical Science and a Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. In addition, the university was restructured to include LACC, Accelerated Sciences Division, Physician Assistant Program, and Health Science Program.

Academics

The university's chiropractic program is based on the trimester system and is 10 trimesters long. LACC also offers three post-graduate residency programs in chiropractic:

Diagnostic Imaging Medical imaging is the technique and process of imaging the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to rev ...

Sports Medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

, and Primary Spine Care. The

Doctor of Chiropractic Chiropractic education trains students in chiropractic. The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of chiropractic programs offered at chiropractic schools vary considerably around the world. Students are trained in academic ar ...

degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the

Council on Chiropractic Education A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

(CCE) and the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners. SCUHS's School of Professional Studies (SPS) and Institute of Science (IOS) offer a comprehensive undergraduate science curriculum that leads to a B.S. in Biological Sciences. The College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is a nine-trimester program fully accredited by the

Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) is a specialized accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. ACAHM is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, incorporated in the District ...

(ACAOM), the recognized accrediting agency for the approval acupuncture and oriental medicine programs. It is also approved by the California Acupuncture Board. In addition to LACC and the College of Eastern Medicine, SCUHS is home to two

Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

certificate programs: a wellness educator program and an Ayurvedic practitioner program. The Ayurvedic practitioner program is supported by the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine and the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Currently there are no official licenses in the United States to practice Ayurveda. The school also offers certification and

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United ...

massage therapy Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In Eu ...

. As of 2018, the ARC-PA has granted Accreditation – Provisional status to the Master in Science: Physician Assistant program at SCUHS.

Location

SCU is located in the suburb of Whittier, 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Whittier borders Orange County.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Chiropractic schools in the United States Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California Whittier, California Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Educational institutions established in 1911 1911 establishments in California Private universities and colleges in California