Dozens of Fresno State nursing students told a 4-semester program they took was not accredited

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several dozen Fresno State nursing students who thought they were getting certificates from an accredited program have now been notified the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was not accredited.

The university has apologized and reached out to the 60 students affected.

Fresno State is still working on what, if anything, they will be offering the students who took a four-semester program and thought they were getting credentials that apparently were overlooked.

Late last year, Fresno State officials and students received notices that the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program was not accredited. Meaning students who completed the program didn't get credentials.

"We're hopeful that we'll be able to find a workable solution and are very committed to doing that," said Jody Hironaka-Juteau, Dean of Health and Human Services.

University leaders haven't decided what solutions will be offered to students who finished the specialized program- a refund may be an option.

Hironaka-Juteau says the online program has been available at Fresno State since 2009, but accreditation wasn't required for the advanced study until 2014. Somehow Fresno State officials never finished the process to become accredited by scheduling a site visit.

The program is now on track to hopefully become accredited by 2020. But it doesn't help those who took the coursework and had the impression they had the proper certificates to work in a very specialized type of health care. For the oversight, officials have said they are working on ways students both local and national can get credentials or maybe money back.

The university did offer refunds to 11 students who were enrolled in the program and two accepted them. The other nine are continuing and should be able to get credentials next year.