Samuel Merritt University (SMU) is a private university focused on health sciences with its main campus in Oakland, California, and other facilities in Sacramento, San Mateo and Fresno. It was an affiliate of the Sutter Health Network and Alta Bates Summit Medical Center until it disaffiliated in January, 2022, becoming a wholly independent institution. It is the only provider of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physician assistants and is the largest source of nurses in the greater East Bay. Formerly known as Samuel Merritt College, it was founded in 1909 as a hospital school of nursing. Today, it stands as a comprehensive health sciences university, encompassing three colleges: College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, and College of Podiatric Medicine

History

Samuel Merritt University was founded in 1909 through the legacy of Samuel Merritt. In recent years, Samuel Merritt has increased its enrollment from 146 to over 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students and added new programs in the health sciences. The Intercollegiate Nursing Program with Saint Mary's College of California was established in 1981. Samuel Merritt College established the entry-level Master of Physical Therapy in 1990, the Master of Occupational Therapy in 1992. The College also offers a Master of Science in Nursing three advanced nursing specialties: Case Management, Family nurse practitioner (FNP), and Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA). In 2005, the department of Physical Therapy graduated its first Doctor of Physical Therapy class. The university started the Master Physician Assistant program in 1999, the first entry-level graduate program for physician assistants in California, and in 2002 established the California School of Podiatric Medicine. In 2023, SMU added three new programs: a Master of Social Work, a Bachelor in Kinesiology, and a Master of Science in Nursing-Clinical Leadership Education.

Academics

SMU is a university dedicated to health sciences, including three at the undergraduate level in nursing and kinesiology. Podiatric medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing practice are all offered at the doctoral level while the physician assistant program is offered at the master's level. The university's average graduation rate is 95 percent and student scores on licensure pass rates are 90 percent or above for first-time test takers in six programs.

Accreditation

The university is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and its programs are accredited by their corresponding accreditation bodies: