Stay informed with the latest updates & important announcements
The COCA is seeking qualified candidates who are interested in serving on the Commission. View the call for nominations. All applications and nominations must be submitted by close of business on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
On Dec. 4, 2025, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) approved revisions to the Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine:
COM Continuing Accreditation Standards (“2026 Continuing Standards”) and the Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM New & Developing Accreditation Standards (“2026 New & Developing Standards”). The COCA thanks the Standards Review Committee and members of the osteopathic medical education community who submitted public comments.
The revised standards have been posted on the COCA website. They are effective for the 2026-2027 academic year (beginning July 1, 2026) and are applicable to all colleges of osteopathic medicine with pre-accreditation or accreditation status. They will apply to reviews conducted after Feb. 1, 2027.
Organizations applying for candidate status, or proposed COMs holding candidate status and applying for pre-accreditation status, must submit the application under the 2026 New & Developing Standards.
Per COCA policies, COMs that are in the monitoring stage of a substantive change will continue to be monitored under the policies in place when the substantive change was approved, but the 2026 Continuing Standards will apply to any monitoring activities.
On Oct. 9, 2025, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) reviewed and approved proposed amendments to the Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM Continuing Accreditation Standards and the Accreditation of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: COM New and Developing Accreditation Standards.
The COCA seeks comments from the osteopathic medical education community, the osteopathic profession and the public at large on the proposed amendments. Submitted comments must be made in writing and must include the following information:
Accreditation documents:
Comments must be submitted by Nov. 12, 2025.
On Aug. 27, 2025, COCA received a letter from the Secretary of Health & Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Secretary of Education, Linda E. McMahon, announcing an initiative to emphasize the importance of nutrition education in medical training. Acknowledging the osteopathic medical profession’s focus on whole-person health and recognizing that many colleges of osteopathic medicine already incorporate nutrition science into their curricula, the COCA codified its commitment to evidence-based nutrition education by adopting a new accreditation requirement.