School Details
As a private university awarding bachelor’s and graduate degrees, West Coast University has transformed the lives of students dedicated to the business of healthcare. Through a student-centric culture, WCU focuses on preparing all graduates with such professional skills as:
- Critical thinking
- Effective communication
- Digital and information literacy
- Ethics
The online degree programs offer working adults a chance to advance their education and skills. Students appreciate opting for accelerated or working professional paces for their studies.
With virtual learning tools and assistance every step of the way, WCU supports students in their journeys. The interactive, online classes provide variety with such options as:
- Mobile-friendly videos
- Audiobooks
- Simulations
- Adaptive quizzing
Find the resources and support to complete your online degree at WCU. Graduates make positive impacts in their communities and beyond.
Accreditation & Licensing
West Coast University is accredited by:
WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
All Programs
Healthcare
For the skills and knowledge needed in healthcare administration, turn to West Coast University’s BS in Health Administration. You will learn how to help run clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.
This online health administration program prepares graduates for administrative roles within healthcare organizations. Possible duties include financial analysis, risk management, and policy development.
With an emphasis on business and administrative skills, this program delves into finance, marketing, and information systems. Furthermore, students learn leadership in healthcare and research methods.
For those working at a job or at home, the university offers a Working Professional pace for this program. For those without other life commitments, the program can be completed in roughly half the time with their Accelerated pace.
Students can choose between two tracks of study—finance or strategic management. Electives within either track include choices to build your skills, such as:
- Accounting or finance
- Marketing
- Project management
- Methods of conflict resolution
The BS in Public Health from the West Coast University aims to cultivate knowledge and skills in public health. You can make a difference for communities and individuals.
Topics of study include the economic, ethical, regulatory, and legal considerations that impact populations. Electives help you meet your career goals by enhancing your core courses. Elective options include:
- Medical terminology
- Healthcare management
- Healthcare policy and economics
- Risk management in healthcare
The online Master of Health Administration provides the fundamental knowledge required for supervisors and managers in the healthcare industry, including planning, directing, coordinating, and supervising the delivery of healthcare products and services. The curriculum is comprised of courses in finance, marketing, informatics, strategic planning, hospital administration, leadership, project management, and entrepreneurship. Graduates are prepared for managerial positions in several settings, including clinics, hospitals, public health departments, physician practices, and health insurance organizations.
The online Master of Public Health program helps students learn to address the ways health and wellness advocacy, policy, and action can have a huge impact on the world, from disease prevention to environmental concerns. The curriculum is designed to help students gain an advanced perspective on issues, processes, and resources to prepare them for a variety of leadership roles, with courses in management, health promotion, environmental health, epidemiologic research methods, health leadership, and health policy. Graduates can inform, educate, and empower people to address and prevent health issues.
Complete your Master of Speech-Language Pathology degree while you continue working with this online program. Online components of synchronous and asynchronous classes and virtual skills labs are combined with two on-campus clinicals and clinical hours in your local area to provide both flexibility and hands-on experience.
Students will gain the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to serve in this vital field. Courses prepare you to treat and prevent common disorders involving communication and swallowing. Graduates will be qualified to work with both children and adult patients.
Some of the topics covered in this Speech-Language Pathology degree online include:
- Speech sound disorders
- Dysphagia in adults
- Neurogenic speech disorders
- Augmentative and alternative communication
- Language disorders in infants and toddlers
Nursing
West Coast University believes in the importance of staying on top of current trends and changing technologies in healthcare. That’s why the online RN to BSN program from WCU incorporates mobile-friendly video content, audiobooks, simulations, adaptive quizzing, and on-the-go resources to keep students engaged. All coursework is completed through interactive online classrooms designed to fit the busy lifestyles of working nurses.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program prepares nurses with the advanced knowledge and skills they need to address evolving needs in healthcare. Students can choose from either Accelerated or Working Professional completion options. Graduates can use their BSN degree to pursue roles in leadership, basic health policy, evidence-based care, and quality improvement, as well as graduate studies.
West Coast University offers an online DNP program for those wishing to take their nursing careers to the next level. This online nurse practitioner degree teaches inventive and evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes, interpret research, and improve healthcare in many other ways. The curriculum prepares you to be a leader in healthcare, participating in interprofessional collaboration and constantly seeking to improve the health care system. Students benefit from designated Student Success Advisors, library resources, and coursework that is delivered online. Graduates have the advanced clinical skills and knowledge needed to be agents of change in health policy reform.
West Coast University offers an MSN in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree for nurses seeking to advance their careers while serving as primary care providers. This online agnp program builds on previous clinical background and experience to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to succeed in this field. You will learn to care for adults from late adolescence through older adulthood, meeting their health and wellness needs. The program focuses on managing common acute and chronic health care problems. Courses teach evidence-based medicine while helping students learn to care for people from diverse populations and cultural backgrounds.
In as little as 32 months graduates are ready to offer patients knowledge, sensitivity, and quality care in such settings as:
- Private medical practices
- Veteran's Administration facilities
- Assisted living facilities
- Community health centers
The online MSN degree with a specialty in Advanced Generalist program from West Coast University is an opportunity for nurses to advance their careers. In particular, this degree builds on prior clinical knowledge and experience, using this as a foundation for an advanced nursing role. The curriculum focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are essential to meeting the complexities of health care. Students are able to communicate and coordinate inter-professionally in various settings as they use evidence-based practices to promote health and disease prevention. Even with a busy professional life you will be able to successfully earn this degree through the 100% online interactive classroom that offers enhanced knowledge and skills in healthcare.
The online MSN degree with an Advanced Generalist specialty track from West Coast University is an opportunity for nurses to advance their careers with a streamlined RN to MSN bridge program. This degree builds on prior clinical knowledge and experience as a foundation for advanced nursing roles.
The curriculum focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to meeting the complexities of healthcare. Students in this online nursing program can choose the course pace that works best for them, Accelerated or Working Professional. Each student receives one-on-one support from a designated Student Success Advisor.
Students gain skills and knowledge in:
- Advanced health and physical assessment
- Advanced pharmacology
- Advanced physiology and pathophysiology
- Health promotion and disease prevention
West Coast University’s online RN to MSN program offers both Accelerated and Working Professional completion options to fit students’ needs. The Master of Science in Nursing / Family Nurse Practitioner program prepares students to sit for national boards, including national boards content, test banks, and reviews embedded in coursework.
The online Family Nurse Practitioner degree program helps nurses build on their existing nursing experience to reach their career goals in advanced-practice nursing. A course in curriculum and instruction also opens the door to potential nursing education roles. A dedicated clinical team helps students secure clinical placements near their home area.
Students in the program learn about topics including:
- Public health nursing
- Principles of leadership for healthcare organizations
- Ethics in healthcare
- Health promotion and disease prevention
The online Nurse Educator degree is an MSN program from West Coast University that allows students to advance their degrees while filling the shortage of nursing faculty found in the United States. This program is for students seeking to play an active role in the educations of nursing students and colleagues and other health professionals and patients. You will learn to design, implement, and evaluate educational programs and to use assessment and evaluation strategies while assuring quality educational experiences for your students. Along the way you will benefit from an online program that still offers one-on-one support from a designated student success advisor while giving you the flexibility a busy professional needs. In as little as 24 months, while still keeping your current position, you will be prepared to teach others, passing along the knowledge, skills, and experiences that can only be gained by an experienced nurse.
The Master of Science in Nursing / Nurse Educator program from West Coast University prepares students to explore curriculum design and evaluation of educational programs in a variety of settings. Graduates will be able to engage in scholarship, service, and leadership as certified Nurse Educators.
The online RN to MSN degree program allows Registered Nurses to gain advanced competencies through either an Accelerated or Working Professional progression schedule. Nurses learn how to facilitate the learning of online nursing students and colleagues in a service setting, as well as other health professionals and patients. Online coursework offers video content, simulations, adaptive quizzing, and on-the-go resources to keep students engaged.
The curriculum includes studies of:
- Assessment and evaluation in nursing education
- Research utilization
- Principles of teaching and learning
- Ethics in healthcare
- Principles of leadership for healthcare organizations
Are you a nurse interested in advancing your career while taking on leadership roles in healthcare? The MSN with a Nurse Leader specialty, an online nursing administration degree from West Coast University, can help you to do just this.
In as little as 24 months students can have the knowledge and skills necessary to take on responsibility for the administration and management of patient care services. The curriculum blends business skills with health care expertise so you are better able to act as a leader in a health care organization. Courses cover such topics as:
- Program-enhancing process development
- Nursing staff management
- Budgets
- Regulatory requirements
Not only will graduates be prepared to direct the planning and development of policies and procedures in their healthcare organizations, they will also provide stability to the organization and work to improve the quality of patient care.
Nurse Leaders are responsible for the administration and management of patient care services. The Master of Science in Nursing / Nurse Leader degree prepares students to become strong and effective leaders in a variety of healthcare settings.
West Coast University offers students both Accelerated and Working Professional options to complete their degree on their schedule. This online RN to MSN program prepares nurses to direct the planning and development of policies and procedures for healthcare organizations. Students gain business skills blended with healthcare expertise to meet the complex and changing needs of the healthcare industry.
Graduates of this online nursing administration program can find employment in roles such as:
- Executive director
- Nursing administrator
- Chief nursing officer
- Department head
West Coast University offers an MSN in Nursing Informatics for nurses interested in working with data and technology. This online nursing informatics degree introduces students to the roles and responsibilities of the nurse informaticist. You will learn to use information systems, electronic health records, and about implementing systems and liability issues. The curriculum follows the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) model, which is focused on education reform and interprofessional community development. Graduates are familiar with the ethical, legal, and social issues arising from the use of computerized technology and information systems in healthcare.
The MSN in Nursing Informatics online from West Coast University prepares students for a career in developing and managing healthcare information technology. Nurses gain skills in using technological tools to design and improve the use of informatics in practice, education, administration, and research.
Nurses skilled in informatics are able to act as a liaison between various healthcare departments, providing support and training in the use of electronic health records. Students learn how to analyze clinical data for performance improvement programs. West Coast University’s online RN to MSN program offers both Accelerated and Working Professional options so students can choose the pace that best fits their schedule and goals.
Online Nursing Informatics degree coursework incorporates studies of these topics:
- User involvement in information systems
- Electronic health records
- System implementation
- Information management and analytics
- Liability issues
West Coast University offers an MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner program online for nurses seeking to advance their careers in healthcare. Nurse practitioners are gaining more responsibility and autonomy as primary healthcare providers and this degree takes your career to this level. In as little as 36 months you will be able to care for patients of all ages in this challenging yet rewarding career field.
The curriculum provides the knowledge and skills you need to meet the always-evolving needs of healthcare patients. For example, students study:
- Primary and preventive health
- Care coordination
- Community health
- Nursing leadership
- Nursing research
Graduates are ready to practice in various settings, including urban, suburban, and rural settings. They are also prepared to sit for the exam.
The Post-Master's Certificate in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree from West Coast University allows you to take your nursing career to the next level. With this online adult nurse practitioner program students complete a streamlined yet comprehensive curriculum that will allow them to act as primary care providers. You will work with patients across the adult age spectrum from late adolescence through older adulthood, including providing comprehensive end of life care to adults. The coursework covers preventive health services, patient education, disease management, and illness prevention as you learn to critically analyze and adapt health care interventions based on assessments of an individual’s needs. Graduates are ready to meet the needs of people from diverse populations and cultural backgrounds with sensitivity and awareness.
Do you want to help ensure all patients receive efficient, high-quality healthcare? If you want to move beyond one-on-one patient care to helping patients on a broader scale, the Post-Master's Certificate in Nurse Leader, an online nursing administration degree, may be for you!
As a nurse leader you will be responsible for the administration and management of patient care services in various healthcare settings. The curriculum prepares students to direct the planning and development of a healthcare organization’s policies and procedures while focusing on improving the quality of patient care. Plus, the flexibility in scheduling and online support allows you to continue as a working professional while successfully earning this degree.
West Coast University offers a Post-Master's Certificate in Nursing Informatics online degree for nurses seeking to advance their careers while specializing in this unique area of healthcare. This program teaches you the knowledge and skills needed to develop and manage healthcare information technology using databases, information systems, informatics, and project management. The online coursework incorporates the tools and skills needed to design and improve informatics in practice, education, administration, and research. As a result, graduates are ready to perform such tasks as:
- Managing data collection, organization, and input
- Providing training for clinical information and communication
- Analyzing multiple approaches and solutions to informatics issues
- Improving clinical information systems
- Implementing informatics solutions to improve healthcare
At WCU online students benefit from the support and guidance of faculty and a program that is simple to navigate and easy to use. Even though you are studying at a distance you still have the continuous access to your instructors, peers, student services, and technical support.