Key Dates in NCU History

1996 – Northcentral University is founded by Dr. Don Hecht in Prescott, Ariz.
1997 – Northcentral University’s School of Business and Technology Management is created.
1997 – Northcentral University enrolls its first student.
1998 – Northcentral University is granted a provisional degree-granting license by the State of Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education.
2000 – Northcentral University hosts its first commencement ceremony, on June 17, for graduates from 1999and 2000.
2003 – Northcentral University becomes institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
2004 – The School of Education at Northcentral University is formed.
2006 – Northcentral University establishes a presence in the Valley of the Sun, in Tempe, Ariz.
2007 – Northcentral University relocates to Prescott Valley, Ariz. from Prescott, Ariz.
2007 – Dr. Clinton Gardner is named president of Northcentral University.
2007 – The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) program is announced.
2007 – Northcentral University is selected as an FBI National Academy Associates education partner.
2007 – Northcentral University forms the Lambda Eta Chapter of Delta Mu International Honor Society (for students of business administration).
2007 – Northcentral University’s School of Business and Technology Management receives Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation for all business degree programs.
2007 – Northcentral University forms the first virtual chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, an international society in the field of education.
2007 – Northcentral University and Rio Salado College announce a teacher education partnership for a bachelor’s-completion program.
2008 – Northcentral University is accepted by Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society (for students of criminal justice); forms Iota Pi Chapter.
2008 – The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) formally reaffirms accreditation of Northcentral University.
2008 – The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) selects Northcentral University’s Strategic Knowledge Studies program as a world-class offering.
2009 – Northcentral University receives provisional approval to offer Title IV funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
2010 – Dr. Clinton Gardner is named president and provost of Northcentral University.
2010 – Northcentral University announces Charter Membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society (the largest collegiate honor society).
2011 – Northcentral University officially launches The Graduate School.
2011 – Northcentral University’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) becomes an approved degree program for the State of California.
2012 – Northcentral University announces and begins implementation of the full-time dissertation faculty model.
2012 – Dr. Clinton Gardner announces his retirement; George A. Burnett is named CEO and president of Northcentral University.
2012 – Dr. Scott Burrus is named provost of Northcentral University.
2012 – Northcentral University and Rio Salado College, receive approval from the Arizona State Board of Education to offer a 3+1 bachelor’s degree in education.
2013 – Northcentral University becomes the first school to offer a primarily distance-based Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
2013 – The School of Behavioral and Health Sciences splits into the School of Psychology and the School of Marriage and Family Sciences.
2013 – Eight PK-12 specializations in the Master of Education (MEd) program receive five year initial accreditation through the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).
2013 - Northcentral University receives approval from the Arizona Department of Education to offer a PK-12 Principal Preparation program at the master’s level.
2015 - Dr. David Harpool appointed interim provost of Northcentral University.
2015 - NCU is regionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
2015 - The School of Marriage and Family Sciences and the School of Psychology merge into the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.