University of Western States is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

health science 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 acad ...

-focused university in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. Founded in 1904, UWS is the second oldest chiropractic university in the world. The university has just under 1,000 students enrolled in both online and on campus.

History

University of Western States can trace its history back to 1904 originally named the Marsh School and Cure by John and Eva Marsh. In 1967 the name became ''Western States Chiropractic College''. In 1973, Western States relocated to its current campus in Northeast Portland. The institution name changed again to ''University of Western States'' in 2010. University of Western States was the first chiropractic college to receive a federally funded research grant through the United States

Health Resources and Services Administration The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in North Bethesda, Maryland. It is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for peop ...

. Western States added a new $4 million lecture hall in 2001, and a $3.6 million anatomy laboratory in 2011. The anatomy lab took first place for its category in the TopProjects contest held by the ''

Daily Journal of Commerce The ''Daily Journal of Commerce'' (DJC) is a U.S. newspaper published Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Portland, Oregon. It features business, construction, real estate, legal news and public notices. It is a member of American Court & Commercial ...

''. As part of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the school received between $2 million and $5 million in federally backed small business loan from

US Bank U.S. Bancorp (stylized as us bancorp) is an American bank holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and incorporated in Delaware. It is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, and is the fifth largest banking institution ...

as part of the

Paycheck Protection Program The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953-billion business loan program established by the United States federal government during the Donald Trump administration in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES A ...

. The university stated it would allow them to retain an undefined number of jobs.

Academics

UWS offers a four-year

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 ...

(DC) degree program that is the second-oldest in the world. The program is a 12 academic-quarter, first-professional doctoral degree offered on campus in

. Other master's and graduate certificate programs include: Sports Medicine, Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine (HNFM), Exercise and Sport Science (ESS), Sport and Performance Psychology (SPP), Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

in Diagnostic Imaging and Residency to train chiropractic physicians as specialists in radiology, and prepare students for credentialing examinations administered by the

American Chiropractic Board of Radiology American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. A doctor of education (EdD) in Sport and Performance Psychology is also offered. University of Western States - Portland, Oregon

UWS offers a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in Human Biology completion program to chiropractic students. In 2015, UWS launched the Northwest Center for Lifestyle and Functional Medicine (NWCLFM) to help educate students on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle focusing primarily on diet, exercise, and positive cognitive behavior.

Accreditation

University of Western States is accredited by the

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) is an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education since 1952 as an institutional accreditor for colleges and universities. ...

, indicating that UWS meets criteria for the assessment of institutional quality, evaluated through a peer review process. The master's degree programs in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, Exercise and Sport Science and Sport and Performance Psychology are regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission. The Doctor of Chiropractic degree program at University of Western States is awarded programmatic accreditation by 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). The UWS Massage Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). The

Oregon Office of Degree Authorization The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization (ODA) is a unit of the Office of Student Access and Completion, with responsibilities related to maintaining high standards in private higher education institutions in Oregon. ODA administers laws and prov ...

approves University of Western States to award degrees. UWS was the first chiropractic college to receive a federally-funded research grant through the United States Health Resources and Services Administration.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Chiropractic schools in the United States Universities and colleges in Portland, Oregon Educational institutions established in 1904 Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 1904 establishments in Oregon Private universities and colleges in Oregon