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Northcentral University

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Not to be confused with North Central University.
Northcentral University
File:Ncu banner.gif
MottoUnus Ad Unum Doctrina Per Experientiam
Motto in English
One-to-One Education By Experience
TypePrivate, for-profit, distance education
Established1996
PresidentGeorge A. Burnett[1]
ProvostScott W.M. Burrus
Students10,181 [2]
Undergraduates418
Postgraduates7,958
Location
Prescott Valley
,
AZ
,
USA United States
CampusSuburban and Urban
ColorsBlue & Burnt Orange
MascotRoadrunner
Websitehttp://www.ncu.edu

Northcentral University is a private, for-profit, accredited university based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, that offers distance education. It was established in 1996 and is currently owned by Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC and Falcon Investments, LLC.[3] Under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Northcentral is classified as a Doctoral Research University.[4]

Northcentral offers bachelor's, master's (MA, MBA and MEd) and doctoral (PhD, DBA and EdD) degrees in business and technology management, education, and behavioral and health sciences.

In 2013, Northcentral received a five-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) for its Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) degree program. Northcentral University’s MAMFT was the first of only two programs with distance education to receive COAMFTE’s accreditation, ensuring that the University’s program aligns with national accreditation standards. (The second is Capella University's MS in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy.)

History

Northcentral University was founded in 1996 by Dr. Donald Hecht.[5] In 1978 Hecht had established California Southern University, formerly known as Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS).[6]

In 2003 the University received regional accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission.[7]

In 2007 the headquarters was established in Prescott, Arizona. In that same year, the school received ACBSP accreditation.

On October 8, 2008, Northcentral announced the university was being purchased by Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC.[8]

In 2011 the US Department of Education determined Northcentral was one of 75 US institutions failing its 2009-2010 financial responsibility test (a measure of the institution's financial solvency), and would be required to post a letter of credit in order for students to receive federal financial aid.[9] Northcentral also failed its 2010-2011 financial responsibility test, scoring zero on a scale of -1 to 3, lower than the 0.2 it earned the prior term.[10]

Accreditation

Northcentral is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, of which it is a member.[7] Northcentral's business school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), but not by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Northcentral's Master's in Marriage & Family Therapy is accredited by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, through their accrediting body COAMFTE.

Northcentral's psychology programs are not accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the body that works closely with state governments for licensing requirements of psychologists. "APA-CoA accredits: Doctoral graduate programs in clinical, counseling and school psychology, and programs offering combinations of two or more of these areas", which NCU does not offer.

Academics

Northcentral consists of three schools:

  • School of Business and Technology Management (Degrees offered BBA, MBA, DBA, PhD, and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Business Administration)
  • School of Education (Degrees offered BEd, MEd, EdD, PhD, and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education)
  • School of Behavioral and Health Sciences (Degrees offered BA and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Psychology; MA and PhD in Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy)

Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) Course Certification

Northcentral is one of 186 higher education institutions to have some of its individual courses certified by the CNSS.[11] According to the National Security Agency's Central Security Service web site, "The goal of the Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation (IACE) Program is to expand the use of national standards in information assurance education and training throughout the nation. IACE systematically assesses the degree to which courseware from commercial, government, and academic sources maps to the national standards set by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS)." Accordingly, Northcentral's courses have been certified as meeting "the minimum standards for the duties and responsibilities of Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals, NSTISSI 4011."[12]

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security includes Northcentral's Business Administration PhD, Homeland Security Specialization in its list of "Colleges, Universities and Institutions Offering Emergency Management Courses."[13]

Partnerships

Northcentral University and Fort Hays State University, a public university in Kansas, have an arrangement under which Fort Hays State University's MBA credits transfer toward Northcentral's DBA or Business PhD program.[14]

Rankings

  • In the 2011 edition of OEDb's Online College Rankings, Northcentral University was ranked 29 out of 65 institutions.[15]
  • Ranked 7th on Guide to Online School's "2012 Online College Rankings".[16]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ Retrieved Aug 13, 2012
  2. ^ Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association. Retrieved May 17, 2011
  3. ^ http://www.rbequity.com/news/ncu-holdings-1-16-09.pdf
  4. ^ Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
  5. ^ http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=40530&TM=26441.54
  6. ^ Our History, Northcentral University website, accessed November 1, 2011
  7. ^ a b http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Itemid=192&Action=ShowBasic&instid=2162
  8. ^ NCU News Release
  9. ^ Degree-Granting Institutions With Low Financial-Responsibility Scores in 2009-10, Chronicle of Higher Education, October 12, 2011
  10. ^ Financial Responsibility Composite Scores
  11. ^ http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/iace_program/iace_certified_institutions.shtml
  12. ^ http://www.nsa.gov/ia/academic_outreach/iace_program/index.shtml
  13. ^ http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu/collegelist/Alphabetical%20Listing%20of%20EM%20HiEd%20Programs.doc
  14. ^ http://www.fhsu.edu/mba/phd-articulation/
  15. ^ http://oedb.org/rankings
  16. ^ "2012 Online College Rankings". Guide To Online Schools. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  17. ^ http://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/exec/bioall.htm

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