Online Learning
INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING
ONLINE LEARNING
Mercy College of Health Sciences provides an interactive and engaging online experience designed to support your learning. Our online platform hosts discussions boards, educational videos, writing assignments, and other activities to enrich your learning experience — all at the click of your mouse.
Mercy College of Health Sciences delivers online education to students outside of Iowa excluding California, pursuant to the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), an agreement among member states that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. SARA is overseen by a National Council and administered by regional education compacts. The regional compact of which the state of Iowa is a member is the Midwest Higher Education Compact. The state of Iowa became a member of SARA on June 1, 2015 and assigned administrative responsibility for the program to Iowa College Aid.
Location of Enrollment
Mercy College professional programs are developed to satisfy the professional licensing requirements in the state of Iowa. If you live outside Iowa and are considering enrolling in an online program that prepares you to take a professional license exam, we encourage you to contact the appropriate state licensing agency in your state, or the state where you intend to work before enrolling. In addition to completing your educational program, state licensure boards may have applicants complete other requirements including, but not limited to: (a) experiences in various clinical settings; (b) a professional examination; and (c) a criminal background check. Please reference the State Professional Licensure List on our consumer information page for more details.
State and institutional membership and participation may change. Not all states are members of SARA; membership and school participation may change. If you are located in a state other than Iowa and wish to enroll in one of our online offerings, please contact us before enrolling to determine if we are able to offer online courses in your state. If you plan to be located in California while enrolled and taking online classes at Mercy College, you must contact a member of the admissions team before enrolling to determine eligibility. Email your inquiry to admissions@mchs.edu or call (515) 635-1133.
Complaints
In accordance with NC-SARA Policy 4.4, effective January 1, 2026, students should be aware of the following guidelines regarding student complaints as they pertain to distance education:
Institutional Complaint Process
Students are encouraged to first resolve complaints through Mercy College’s internal grievance procedures. These procedures are outlined in the Student Handbook and available through the Office of Student Affairs.
SARA Complaint Process
Students residing in other SARA member states who are enrolled in Mercy College’s distance education programs and who have exhausted institutional complaint procedures may submit a complaint through the SARA Student Complaint Form.
Important Notes:
- SARA applies only to interstate distance education.
- Complaints about grades or student conduct are not eligible under SARA.
- Complaints must be submitted within two years of the incident.
- Anonymous complaints will not be reviewed.
Students may contact the Iowa College Aid to make an inquiry about Mercy College or to file a complaint.
Contact for SARA Complaints in Iowa:
Iowa College Aid
475 SW 5th St, Suite D
Des Moines, IA 50309
Student Complaints Webpage – https://educate.iowa.gov/higher-ed/student-complaints
Online Learning
Resources
Online learning at Mercy College is designed to help you achieve your goals with the flexibility you need to be successful. Even though you may be completing your coursework from the comfort of your home or your break room, we’ve developed resources to make sure you never feel alone. Our expert faculty and staff are dedicated to your success 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We offer a number of free services to support you during your time at Mercy College.
- Remote Library Services
- Online Tutoring
- Career Services
- Personalized Enrollment Support
ENROLLMENT
Resources
As part of your online learning experience at Mercy College, you will have access to all of our Mercy College resources, including personalized enrollment support. Our enrollment team will help you:
- Determine if credits will transfer
- Advise on programs and job prospects post-graduation
- Assist with student resources, financial aid, and more
- Discuss options for work/family/school life balance
From application to support resources, through graduation, our enrollment team is here to help you stay on track with anything you may need while you pursue an online healthcare degree through Mercy College.
Explore our degree options
We offer a number of accredited certificate and degrees to choose from. Find one that matches your interests!
Mercy College = Affordable
Not sold, yet? Let us tell you why Mercy College is your most affordable option to advance your healthcare career.
Calling Adult Students
Wonder what it’s like to go back to school as an adult student? You’re not alone. We’ve got you covered!
