About NCU

Mission

Northcentral University educates professionals throughout the world and provides an accessible opportunity to earn a U.S. regionally accredited degree. Northcentral mentors students One-to-One with highly credentialed faculty via advanced delivery modalities. Northcentral commits to helping students achieve academically and become valuable contributors to their communities and within their professions.

Vision

Northcentral University is a premier online graduate university and a global leader in providing unprecedented access to U.S. regionally accredited higher education.

VALUES: I.D.E.A.s Founded on INTEGRITY

We hold all members of our community to the highest ethical standards of professional and academic conduct and the rules and regulations of U.S. higher education.

Innovation: We envision new and innovative education delivery systems, and support proven concepts of teaching and learning. We encourage our community to seek solutions to educational challenges that will improve the quality of our programs and services.

Diversity: Northcentral University (NCU) celebrates the diversity of thought, action, and cultural groups within our community and is committed to equity for all people. We act on our belief that the educational journey will be enhanced if it is diverse in nature by actively promoting respect and understanding for different cultures, social groups, and experiences.

Excellence: Our community is committed to excellence in academics and service. We value leadership and strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We define and measure outcomes and take action to ensure that our community’s passion for excellence is never compromised.

Accountability: We are deeply committed to holding each member of the University responsible for their scholarly and professional work. We expect financial responsibility in the actions of our students and University team.

Distance Learning at NCU

In the Northcentral University distance-learning environment, students and faculty interact one-to-one. The University uses a personalized teaching model wherein students and faculty interact asynchronously during a course to achieve learning outcomes. Faculty members function as instructors, facilitators, guides, consultants, and evaluators. A complete list of salaried faculty and their qualifications can be found in the Academic Administration & Faculty  section.

All degree programs include a set of fundamental courses and a set of related specialization courses allowing the student to select coursework closely associated with his or her educational and career goals. Students complete a degree plan, guided by faculty and supported by traditional texts, technology, and electronic resources and databases. Where appropriate, students must satisfy general education and/or content area requirements. Elective courses are divided into specializations at the undergraduate level and specializations at the graduate level. Students choose from a carefully selected array of courses that support program objectives.

NCU utilizes its own proprietary Learning Management System (LMS), NCUOne, to provide an enriched online experience for students. NCUOne is tailored to NCU’s unique one-to-one teaching model and graduate program focus.

Facilities

As an online university, NCU does not have a physical campus or equipment other than its state-of-the-art computing and networking resources to meet the needs of students working at a distance. Prospective students are informed of the computer capacity requirements for successful access to all NCU systems and learning resources. NCU has an service center office in Arizona with the headquarters located in California.  Northcentral University does not provide dormitory facilities and is not responsible for assisting students in finding housing in their respective locations. For reference, the median rental housing cost in California is $2,509 per month.

NCU Building Locations

• Arizona: 8667 E. Hartford Drive Suite #100; Scottsdale, AZ 85255(Service Center)
• California:2488 Historic Decatur Road, Suite 100; San Diego, CA 92106 (Administrative/Legal Headquarters)

Board of Trustees Members

• George A. Burnett, NCU President and Chief Executive Officer, (ex officio member)
• Jerry Israel, PhD (Chair)
• Karen F. Rizk (Vice Chair)
• Harold Greenberg (Secretary/Treasurer)
• Brian Hermelin, MBA (Member)
• James Horton, PhD (Member)
• Steve Linden (Member)
• Curtis L. McCray, PhD (Member)
• Tom Page (Member)
• Kevin Prokop, MBA (Member)
• Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., FACOFP (Member)
• John Schnabel, MBA (Member)
• Irene Wang (Member)
• William Whittington, JD (Member)

History and Accreditation of Northcentral University

Founded in 1996, NCU (NCU) is a regionally accredited, private, online, and graduate-focused university, serving professionals globally. The University offers doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in business and technology management, education, psychology as well as marriage and family therapy. Courses are taught one-to-one by a member of NCU’s 100 percent doctoral faculty, and there are no physical residency requirements. NCU is regionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748-9001, www.wascsenior.org.

• Key Dates in NCU History
     
• Facts & Figures
    

ACCREDITATION & ACADEMIC ALIGNMENT

• NCU is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
• The University is a private institution that is approved to operate by the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. Approval to operate means compliance with state standards as set forth in the CEC and 5, CCR.
• NCU Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (PhD-BA) programs in the School of Business are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• NCU offers the first 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)
• NCU is a Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) for the Project Management Institute (PMI ®) (PMI is a registered mark of Project Management Institute, Inc.)
• The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has recognized Northcentral’s Human Resources Management specializations for the BBA and MBA programs as fully aligning with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates 

Institutional Learning Outcomes

Self-Monitoring Procedures

NCU engages objective third-party evaluators to review the institution’s maintenance and operation in compliance with the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 and this Division of the Bureau on a biennial basis. The University will use the results of the third-party review to implement changes to processes and procedures as necessary. Additionally, NCU monitors alerts and notifications from the Bureau to identify ad hoc changes that may be needed prior to the institution’s next scheduled review.

Northcentral University Holiday Closures

NCU offices are closed on the following holidays and students are notified through the NCU’s messaging system of such closures:

Graduation Calendar

The current graduation calendar and general information about the NCU graduation process and ceremony schedule can be found at http://www.ncu.edu/graduation.