Accreditation

Sonoran University of Health Sciences is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Sonoran University’s Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine program is accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), a professional accrediting agency for naturopathic medical programs. Both accreditors are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 263-0456 phone
(800) 621-7440 toll-free
(312) 263-7462 fax
www.hlcommission.org/
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Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME)
342 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-8877 phone
(413) 528-8880 fax
www.cnme.org

Students and graduates of naturopathic colleges and programs accredited by CNME are eligible to apply for the Naturopathic Physician Licensing Examinations (NPLEX) as administered by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners.

Sonoran University is approved to offer degrees by the State of Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board and the Arizona State Board of Private Post-Secondary Education.

State Authorizations & Licensing

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

Sonoran | SARA Seal The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) pertains to approval of distance education courses and programs offered across state lines by postsecondary institutions that already have degree authorization in at least one state. SARA is a voluntary agreement among its member states and U.S. territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance-education courses and programs. The National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) provides national oversight for each NC-SARA approved state. In Arizona, the Arizona SARA Council (AZ-SARA) provides statewide oversight for Arizona institutions.

Participation in SARA is voluntary for states and for institutions. SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA centralizes the authorization process for each institution in a single state called the institution’s “home state.” Colleges or universities in a SARA state therefore only need their home state authorization to offer distance education to students in any other SARA member state, subject to certain limitations.

Sonoran University of Health Sciences (formerly Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences) was approved by the Arizona SARA Council (AZ-SARA) and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) as a SARA institution on February 18, 2016.

For a list of approved states and state actions regarding SARA, please visit this page. Students interested in taking distance education courses at Sonoran that are located in a state that has not yet obtained approval through NC-SARA should contact admissions at, admissions@sonoran.edu

For more information about SARA, please visit http://www.nc-sara.org/

For questions pertaining to SARA compliance at Sonoran University, please contact Sonoran’s SARA liaison officer Kalyani Sury at k.sury@sonoran.edu.