About Whitworth University

Our Mission

Whitworth University is a private, residential, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian church. Since 1890, Whitworth has provided its diverse student body an education of mind and heart, equipping its graduates to honor God, follow Christ and serve humanity. This mission is carried out by a community of Christian scholars committed to excellent teaching and to the integration of faith and learning.

An Education of Mind and Heart

Since 1890, Whitworth University has held fast to its founding mission to provide its students an education of mind and heart characterized by rigorous and open intellectual inquiry and the integration of Christian faith and learning. Anchored in the Reformed tradition and enriched throughout its history by strong evangelical and ecumenical currents, Whitworth's mission is carried out by a diverse community of dedicated Christian scholars and staff members who are called to a variety of vocations to serve and support students. Whitworth believes that the best learning occurs in the context of relationship – inside and outside of the classroom – where faculty and staff members alike invest in the lives of students. Whitworth is committed to modeling the highest standards of integrity and fairness and to being a trusted and valued member of the community.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation

Whitworth University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Whitworth's current accreditation status is “Accreditation Reaffirmed.” On March 2, 2026, NWCCU reaffirmed Whitworth’s accreditation following a comprehensive peer-review process demonstrating compliance with NWCCU Standards and Policies.

NWCCU is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Accreditation by NWCCU indicates that the institution meets established standards of quality and effectiveness and demonstrates the capacity to fulfill its mission. Accreditation applies to the institution as a whole and is not granted on a program-by-program basis. It does not guarantee the quality of every individual course or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance that the institution maintains appropriate academic programs, resources, governance, and integrity to support student learning and institutional sustainability.

 Inquiries regarding an institution's accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities should be directed to the accreditation liaison officer (alo@whitworth.edu). Individuals may also contact:
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
8060 165th Ave. NE
Redmond, WA 98052 425.558.4224
www.nwccu.org

Whitworth is also a member of the Association of American Colleges & Universities, the American Council of Education, the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, the CIC Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

Programmatic Accreditation

In addition to our institutional accreditation which applies to all programs at Whitworth University, the following is a list of programs at Whitworth that are also accredited by other external programmatic accrediting agencies.

  • Whitworth University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. 
  • The B.S. in engineering major is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.
  • The Operations Management and Six Sigma Certificate is accredited by the Council for Six Sigma Certification.
  • The Whitworth School of Business is an accredited member of AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
  • In the School of Education, the teacher certification programs, school counseling program and school administration program are approved by the State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board.
  • The M.Ed. in School Counseling Program is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC).
  • The Whitworth Marriage & Family Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
  • The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Whitworth University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085; telephone: 703.706.3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 509.777.3377 or email the program director at chawkins@whitworth.edu. Upon completion of the program, the student is eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) and apply for licensure in any state.
  • The Whitworth University entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) located at:
    7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
    Bethesda, MD 20814
    ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301.652.6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org; its email address is accred@aota.org. Loriann Helgeson, OTD, OTR/L, CLA, is the department chair. Graduates of the program 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).

Academic Affairs - Accreditation Liaison Officer

Nick McKinney, Assistant Provost for Academic Administration
Whitworth University
509.777.4596
alo@whitworth.edu
www.whitworth.edu/academics

Related Academic Authorization

State Authorization – Washington State

Whitworth University qualifies as "exempt" (WAC 250-61-060) from requiring degree authorization in the state of Washington according to the Washington State Degree-Granting Institutions Act, Chapter 28B.85 RCW. The Washington Student Achievement Council recognizes Whitworth University as a legal degree-granting institution under these exemption criteria. Specific degree programs at Whitworth University are approved by the Washington Student Achievement Council's State Approving Agency for veterans' education and training benefits under Section 3675, Chapter 36, Title 38, U.S. Code.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA)

Whitworth University is a participating institution of SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) which is a voluntary, regional approach to provide oversight of postsecondary distance education. Under the provisions of SARA, Whitworth is authorized to provide distance education to students residing in other SARA member states. A list of SARA states and participating institutions can be found on the NC-SARA website.
Students enrolled in Whitworth distance education programs who wish to file a complaint under NC-SARA policies must first go through the institution’s internal procedures for resolution of grievances. If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident, to the SARA Portal Entity in the home state of the institution against which the complaint has been lodged (see contact information listed below). For additional information about complaint procedures related to distance education programs, please see the student consumer complaint process website here.

SARA State Portal Entity for the State of Washington

Sam Loftin
Director of Consumer Protection
360.753.7866
saml@wsac.wa.gov
Washington Student Achievement Council
917 Lakeridge Way SW
Olympia, WA 98502

State Authorization - Oregon State

Master of Education in Montessori education programs (M.Ed.) delivered in the state of Oregon are considered a "physical presence" by SARA, thus state authorization is required for conferral of these degrees in other SARA member states. Whitworth University has been granted initial authorization for these degree programs in the state of Oregon.

This school is a business corporation authorized by the state of Oregon to offer and confer the academic degrees and certificates described herein, following a determination that state academic standards will be satisfied under OAR 583-030. Inquiries concerning the standards or school compliance may be directed to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission Office of Degree Authorization, 3225 25th Street SE, Salem, OR 97302, or info.pps@hecc.oregon.gov.

Review of Accreditation, State & Federal Approval

Enrolled and prospective students have the right to review the documents describing the institution's accreditation, approval or licensing documents. If you wish to review these documents, please contact the Whitworth Accreditation Liaison Officer (alo@whitworth.edu, 509.777.4596).

The 4-1-4 Calendar

In 1969, Whitworth became one of the first educational institutions in the country to adopt the 4-1-4 academic calendar. This calendar is now favored by many liberal arts colleges and universities due to its flexibility and its potential for innovative short-run and off-campus courses.

Whitworth's fall semester begins in early September and ends with Christmas Break. During Jan Term, Whitworth's one-month winter term between semesters, students take one intensive course. Many students participate in internships, independent studies or study abroad programs during this month. Whitworth has developed a number of tuition-reciprocity agreements with other colleges and universities on the 4-1-4 calendar, which allow students to experience another college or university during January without upsetting tuition or financial aid arrangements. The spring semester begins in early February and ends in mid-May. A 12-week period of summer instruction is also offered in varied formats, from weekend workshops to online and traditional lecture courses.

Academic Calendar

2026-27

Fall Semester
Saturday Aug. 30 Residence Halls Open for New Students
Monday Sept. 1 Residence Halls Open for Returning Students
Tuesday Sept. 2 Advising and Registration
Wednesday Sept. 3 Day and Evening Classes Begin
Friday-Monday Oct. 24-27 Fall Break
Wednesday-Friday Nov. 26-28 Thanksgiving Vacation
Monday Dec. 1 Classes Resume
Tuesday-Friday Dec. 9-12 Final Examinations
Jan Term
Friday Jan. 2 Residence Halls Open
Monday Jan. 5 Classes Begin
Monday Jan. 19 Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday
Friday Jan. 23 Last Class Day
Spring Semester
Monday Jan. 26 Residence Halls Open for New Students
Wednesday Jan. 28 Advising and Registration
Thursday Jan. 29 Day and Evening Classes Begin
Monday-Friday March 23-March 27 Spring Break
Monday April 6 Easter Holiday
Tuesday-Friday May 12 - 15 Final Examinations
Saturday May 16 Graduate Commencement
Sunday May 17 Undergraduate Baccalaureate and Commencement
Summer School Dates

Summer school dates extend from May 24-Aug. 13, 2027. Whitworth offers three-week, six-week, nine-week and 12-week course options during this time period.

Note: Whitworth Online's adult undergraduate degree programs and the Master of Business Administration program operate on a different academic calendar than the one that applies to the rest of the university. For the most up-to-date adult degree calendar information, see Whitworth Online Programs. To view the academic calendar for Whitworth's Master of Business Administration program, go to Master of Business Administration (MBA) | Whitworth University.