New Sentara and VWU college to launch in January

Sentara Health and Virginia Wesleyan University announced on Wednesday that the new Sentara College of Health Sciences of Virginia Wesleyan University will launch in January 2026.

The Norfolk health system and the university previously announced in June that they had signed a letter of intent to jointly create the college. The announcement came after Sentara said in April it would end its degree programs at the Sentara College of Health Sciences (SCOHS) in Chesapeake, instead transitioning those programs to state and regional universities.

On Wednesday, Sentara provided additional details. Starting Jan. 1, 2026, SCOHS will be operated as the Sentara College of Health Sciences of Virginia Wesleyan University, a professional college within VWU‘s academic structure, housing all existing degree and certificate programs.

Sentara says that through summer 2026, all current students will complete their programs and courses of study under the SCOHS name. But starting in fall 2026, students will receive their credentials from the Sentara College of Health Sciences of Virginia Wesleyan University. For current students, there will be no changes to out-of-pocket costs, courses of study or graduation timelines.

Furthermore, Sentara states that students, faculty and staff will continue to use the existing SCOHS campus and facilities, allowing them to maintain continuity while Sentara prepares to transition all programs to the VWU campus.

“Our shared vision is to prepare the health care workforce of the future while honoring Sentara College’s deep community ties and proud academic legacy,” said Sentara College of Health Sciences President Angela Taylor in a statement. “We look forward to working closely with Virginia Wesleyan University to create new opportunities for students, expand access to in-demand programs and continue meeting the growing health care workforce needs of our communities.”

Sentara says prospective students should contact the VWU enrollment office for the most up-to-date information.

“We are proud to build on our strong relationship with Sentara as we take this important next step forward,” VWU President Scott D. Miller said in a statement. “Integrating Sentara College into Virginia Wesleyan’s academic community will create exciting new opportunities for students and strengthen health sciences education across our region.”

Both institutions are working on the required regulatory and accreditation processes as part of the transition.

A Sentara spokesperson said in June that SCOHS has 238 degree-seeking students enrolled in nursing, cardiovascular technology and surgical technology programs. It also has 20 students enrolled in a patient care technician summer program and has 100 students admitted to certificate programs that begin in the fall.

Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia Wesleyan University is a private university with 1,674 undergraduate students and 131 graduate students. A not-for-profit health system, Sentara operates 11 hospitals in Virginia and one in northeastern North Carolina. It has 34,000 employees. The Sentara Health Plans insurance division has more than 1 million members in Virginia and Florida.