Textbooks and Course Resources - University of Western States

Select your program below to download the current textbook list. For information about options for acquiring textbooks, please see the textbook FAQs below. Any questions? Reach out to student success at studentsuccess@test.uws.edu.

Students are encouraged to check the library catalog for electronic versions of required and recommended textbooks before purchasing. The library carries a few copies all of the required and recommended textbooks in print and has been able to obtain electronic versions of many textbooks for all programs at UWS, saving students hundreds of dollars per term. To purchase books, please visit the UWS campus store. Note that many programs require specific professional resources in addition to course textbooks. These are included on the lists for each program, with additional information about where to purchase them if not available through the UWS campus store.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Click to download: CMHC textbook list

Doctor of Chiropractic

Click to download: DC textbook list
Quarter 1 students will also need to purchase materials for a doc bag: Click here to download list.

Doctor of Clinical Nutrition

Click to download: DCN textbook list

Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Click to download: NMD textbook list
Quarter 1 students will also need to purchase materials for a doc bag: Click here to download list.

Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine

Click to download: HNFM textbook list

Sport and Performance Psychology

Click to download: SPP textbook list

Sports Medicine

Click to download: sports medicine textbook list

Mental Health Foundations

Click to download: mental health foundations textbook list.

Undergraduate Programs

Your instructor will provide you with textbook information. Contact studentsuccess@test.uws.edu if you have any questions.

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Textbook FAQs

Click on a question below to open the answer.

How do I get my textbooks?

You have multiple options to get textbooks, depending on what works best for you. Keep in mind that many programs require specific professional materials in addition to textbooks. These are included on the textbook lists for each program, with additional information about where to purchase them if not available through the UWS campus store. Ultimately students are responsible for acquiring all required course materials. Options for acquiring textbooks and course materials:

UWS campus store
Redshelf
Switchboard (post an “ask”)
UWS library
Third party resource (Amazon, Chegg, etc.). *UWS does not endorse a specific third party resource.

What is Redshelf and how does it work?

RedShelf is one of the nation’s leading edTech companies. This cloud-based resource provides more affordable, efficient and engaging digital textbooks available to rent or own.

I’m an international student, how can I get my textbooks?

As an international student, you have multiple options including:

Use the ISBN number (listed on the textbook list) to search online for e-book versions.
Check your local library.
Order physical copies early!
Check the UWS library for electronic versions.

Can I get textbooks through the library?

The library has copies of many course textbooks available, but students should not rely only on the library for all textbook needs. To see if the library has your textbooks in print or e-book format, check either the library catalog or course reserves guide.

Textbook requests via mail: You can request to check out a physical copy of available textbooks via mail. Textbooks can only be mailed to 48 contiguous U.S. states or Washington D.C.

Check out duration: Six weeks, which includes shipping back and forth.
Available to renew? No.
How to request: Email library@test.uws.edu with your request, including the title(s) of the book(s), your mailing address and phone number. You may request up to three (3) textbooks for mailing.

If requested early enough, this option could be used as a stop-gap measure if there will be a shipping delay in receiving your textbooks. Note that it can take 7-10 days for textbooks shipped from the library to arrive.

Textbook reserves and on campus pick up: Available to online students located in the Portland area who can visit campus to pick up textbooks.

Check out duration: Two weeks (14 days).
Available to renew? If there is no waiting list, these may be renewed.
How to request: For the initial request, call the library at 503-251-5752 or email library@test.uws.edu to set up your library borrowing account. After that, you can request books online to be put on hold for pickup using the login credentials for your library borrowing account.

Doctor of Chiropractic students can check out textbooks for two hours (in-library use) or one week.

How to request: Stop by the library’s front desk to check out the textbooks.

For more information on borrowing textbooks from the library, see:

How do I use e-books (including e-textbooks) from the library?

How to access e-books: E-books are accessed via an off-campus login page using your UWS credentials (username, not full email address and password).
Typical availability: Read-only, first-come, first-served. Most library e-books are available as one copy, three copies or unlimited use. Most cannot be downloaded as a whole book, but you may be able to download or print a limited number of pages.
E-book etiquette: Because some titles have more limited access, the library encourages good e-book etiquette by closing out of the e-book as soon as you are done using it, which “returns” it so someone else can use it.

I’m an online student, can I keep a library textbook throughout the whole quarter?

Textbooks requested via mail are available for a six-week check out, which includes shipping back and forth; they cannot be renewed. If picked up on campus, textbooks for online students can be checked out for two weeks and may be renewed if no one else is waiting to use them.

Note that it can take 7-10 days for textbooks shipped from the library to arrive.

Why can’t I view my textbook online at the library? My instructor said it was available as an e-book.

Many publishers do not make e-books available for institutional buyers like libraries. You may be able to buy an e-book for individual use, but that doesn’t mean the library has the same access. The library purchases the e-book version of textbooks when possible. If the library doesn’t have the e-book of your textbook(s), it means that it is not available.

I’m signing in to request a textbook from the library and my login isn’t working. How can I access the book?

You might be trying to log in through the library catalog, under “Sign in to request physical item.” This is not the correct place to sign in. View this screenshot for a visual walk-through of this process.

If it is a print textbook (hint: below the title/author, it will say Available at: UWS Library, followed by a call number in parentheses), and you live in the 48 contiguous U.S. states or Washington D.C. and would like it mailed to you, email library@test.uws.edu your request, including the title(s) of the book(s), your mailing address and phone number. You may request up to three (3) textbooks for mailing.

If it is an e-book (hint: below the title/author, you’ll see a green “Click here for online access” link), click on the title of the book in the catalog and use either the green “Click here for online access” link or the link next to “Full text available at.” Either link will prompt you to login using the UWS off-campus library resource login page.