Washington Adventist University, which operates one of the oldest nursing education programs in the state of Maryland, received five-year accreditation for its undergraduate and master's level nursing programs from the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education, located in Washington, D.C.

"We are very pleased with these accreditations, as they reflect the hard work of our faculty and staff"

“We are very pleased with these accreditations, as they reflect the hard work of our faculty and staff, and the high quality of our nursing programs,” said WAU president Weymouth Spence, Ed.D., R.T., in a statement released by the school.

While WAU has always maintained state licensure for its nursing program, the school lost a 2014 appeal of the decision by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) to drop its accreditation. ACEN and CCNE are the two accrediting bodies for nursing education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation is generally deemed important in validating an educational institution's programs, and is also looked for when students apply for advanced degrees at other schools.

“In the Adventist tradition, our programs are defined by our commitment to faith-informed distinctive safe nursing practices, as required for holistic learning and abundant living,” the statement quoted WAU provost Cheryl Harris Kisunzu, Ph.D., as saying.

Washington Adventist University, located in Tacoma Park, Maryland, offers a baccalaureate degree in nursing as part of the school’s traditional day program. Additionally, three master’s degree programs in the University’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) are offered, accommodating working adults with an accelerated evening format. The graduate programs include an RN-MSN program, a Master of Science in Nursing and Business Leadership, and a Master of Science in Nursing Education.

The only private college in Montgomery County, Maryland, WAU has approximately 1,100 students enrolled on its 19-acre campus. The school was established in 1904 and was ranked by U.S. News and World Report this year, 2016, among the best regional colleges in the northern U.S.