Frequently Asked Questions
By whom is Whitworth University accredited?
- Whitworth University is accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the institutional accrediting body in the Northwest.
- Music Department – National Association of Schools of Music
- School of Education – National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Intercollegiate College of Nursing – Washington State Board of Nursing & Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education
- Whitworth Athletic Training Education Program – Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- School of Business – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
How do I find out if my former school's accrediting body is accepted by Whitworth University?
Current accrediting bodies accepted by Whitworth University include:
- Middle States Association of Colleges & Schools, Commission on Higher Education (MSA-CHE)
- Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC)
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACS)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-ACCJC)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-ACSCU)
- Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
If your school's accrediting body is not listed above, please contact the Whitworth University Registrar's Office at registrar@whitworth.edu to see about alternatives available to you.
How do I find out who my former school(s) is accredited by?
Almost all institutions of higher education include the name of their accrediting body in their school catalogs. This information is also generally found on the back of official transcript paper and on the school's website. Contact your school's registrar's office for more information.
If my school's accrediting body is not accepted by Whitworth, do I still need to provide official transcripts?
If you received federal financial aid while attending other institutions, Whitworth will require official transcripts from those schools, regardless of accreditation, in order to consider your file complete and accurate.
If you did not receive federal financial aid, and if your former school is not accredited by an institution recognized by Whitworth, Whitworth will not require official transcripts from that school. Please note that no transfer credit will be recognized from that institution, nor will Whitworth accept any prerequisite coursework completed at that school.
Will you accept college credits I earned while attending high school?
Whitworth University will not accept college courses earned by a student to fulfill high school requirements that are printed only on high school transcripts.
Whitworth University may accept college credits earned prior to high school graduation if they were earned at, or transcripted by, a regionally accredited college or university. The courses and grades must appear on the institution's official transcript. An official college transcript will be required for evaluation.
Coming, Going & Returning Policy
In order for a transfer student to receive the general education waiver, as noted in the DTA agreement, s/he must earn an approved associate degree prior to initial enrollment at Whitworth University. Students who begin matriculation at Whitworth University, then leave and return at a later date with an AA or AS degree, or who complete an AA or AS degree while attending Whitworth University, will be evaluated as transfer students with no guarantee as to the number of credits that will be transferred in, and they will not receive the benefit of the waiver of general education requirements.
Official Transcript Policy
Whitworth University considers an official transcript to be a record of the student's academic history at another institution. Official transcripts should be sent directly to Whitworth University from the previous institution(s).
Transcripts are legal documents that cannot be copied or returned once they are received by Whitworth University.