Mar 29, 2024  
NCU Catalog - August 2018 
    
NCU Catalog - August 2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Admissions Requirements



Notice of Nondiscrimination and Section 504/ADA Coordinator

The University does not discriminate based on disability in violation of 34 C.F.R. Section 504 and does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its program or activity. The University has a designated Disability Services Team to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies and accommodations. Students who are in need of accommodations are encouraged to contact the University’s Disabilities Services Team at disabilitiesservices@ncu.edu. Team members must notify the Director of Compensation, Benefits, and ADA on the Human Resources Team of any requests for accommodations at humanresources@ncu.edu. If there is a concern of discrimination regarding disability, team members must contact their assigned HR Liaison.

NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT OUR INSTITUTION

The transferability of credits you earn at Northcentral University is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you  may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the degree, diploma, or certificate you earn in your educational program is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the credits or degree, diploma, or certificate that you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your coursework at that institution.  For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Northcentral University to determine if your credits or  degree, diploma, or certificate will transfer.

General Admissions Requirements

NCU offers programs for bachelor’s degree completion, master’s, and doctoral degrees in specializations designed to meet the needs of adult students and professionals. Meeting the admission requirements is an indicator that the student is qualified to enter and pursue the degree program chosen. The University emphasizes that a student’s success depends upon applying oneself to the degree program studies.

State regulatory information is available at https://www.ncu.edu/consumer-info/state-regulatory-information.

Online Requirements

NCU uses electronic communications. To complete the admissions process, applicants need to have access to the internet readily available to them. The University requires all applicants to submit an online application by completing the application form at: https://apply.ncu.edu

Technical Requirements

It is highly recommended that applicants review the minimum technology requirements outlined at: http://www.ncu.edu/northcentral-global/consumer-information/technical-requirements.

Students should also periodically review these requirements.  In addition, students must also be able to navigate the internet. Students are responsible to check NCUOne and their student email account on a regular basis, including electronic communications sent via the NCU messaging system, and to advise the University of any related problems.

Recommended hardware requirements:

  • Intel P4 (minimum of 2 Ghz) or faster processor
  • Minimum 512 MB RAM, 1GB or greater is recommended
  • Minimum 20 GB of free hard disk space, 40 GB or greater is recommended
  • CD-ROM drive, thumb drive and external hard drive
  • Minimum of 56 Kbps or faster modem, Broadband (high-speed at 144 Kbps or faster), DSL, Cable or better is recommended
  • Color monitor, keyboard, mouse and access to a printer

Recommended software applications for PC systems:

  • Minimum of Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, Microsoft Windows 7 is recommended
  • Minimum of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) 2003, Microsoft Office 2007 or above is recommended
  • IE 8, Firefox 3.6 or Safari 4.0
  • Adobe Reader 9 or latest version and Adobe Flash Player 10
  • High-quality antivirus software

Recommended software applications for MAC systems:

  • MAC OS X is recommended 
  • Microsoft Office 2008 for MAC or above
  • Firefox 3.6 or Safari 4.0
  • Adobe Reader 9 or latest version and Adobe Flash Player 10
  • High-quality antivirus software

Application Requirements

A completed application (available online at https://apply.ncu.edu) must be accompanied by:

Admissions & Evaluation Procedures

Applications may be submitted using the online application form at https://apply.ncu.edu or by contacting Enrollment Services at 866-776-0331 for assistance. Additional documents may be submitted by mail, fax, or email. Fields are available on the online application form to securely store credit card information and social security information, which should never be transmitted by email.

Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.

Applicants must request official transcripts be sent directly to NCU from prior colleges and universities during the application process. Acceptance may be granted based on unofficial transcripts. However, all official, sealed transcripts must be received from U.S. institutions within 90 days of the start of the first course, and from foreign institutions within 180 days of the start of the first course.

Applicants using academic documents issued by non-U.S. academic institutions for admissions consideration may be required to have these official documents sent directly from the academic institution to the credential-evaluating agency. Please refer to the section entitled Credential Evaluation  for current information regarding accepted Credential Evaluation agencies and procedures involved or see: http://www.ncu.edu/northcentral-global/consumer-information/internal-admissions

Acceptance Requirements

Program acceptance requirements vary by degree-level, School, and program of study. Minimum requirements for acceptance are outlined below. Please refer to School and program sections for additional, program-specific admissions requirements and procedures.

Basis for Admissions

NCU accepts students on a continual basis. Application for admission can be submitted online any time during the calendar year via www.ncu.edu. The Office of the Registrar reviews each applicant file to ensure that the prospective students meet the institutional and program-specific basis for admission requirements. Please refer to School and program sections of this catalog for program-specific admissions requirements and procedures.

Address for Submission of Transcripts

Transcripts should be sent to the Office of the Registrar for processing at:

Office of the Registrar
Northcentral University – Scottsdale Service Center
8667 E. Hartford Drive, Suite 110
Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Acceptance to the University

Upon receipt of the application for admission materials, the Office of the Registrar will evaluate the application file and supporting documentation. The academic evaluation includes a review of the applicant’s educational intent, prior college work, professional experiences, and University requirements.

Applicants will be notified of their admission status and the requirements for the degree program upon completion of the academic evaluation.

Transfer Credit

Requests for course transfer credit must be made along with the Application for Admission so that an appropriate degree plan can be developed and accepted by the student. Requests by the student for consideration of additional transfer credit can be made at any time prior to graduation provided the University has not already accepted the maximum number of transfer credits permissible. Review of transfer credit requests after the initial evaluation may require a re-evaluation fee. The School Dean or designee must approve all requests for transfer credit. Transfer courses are evaluated for relevancy to degree programs and University’s academic standards. The Office of the Registrar documents which courses are accepted in transfer and which NCU requirements the course satisfies. The number of semester credit hours that will be accepted in transfer is documented in the Acceptance Letter. If quarter credit hours have been earned for a course to be accepted as satisfying an NCU requirement, they are converted to semester credit hours by multiplying them by 2/3 and rounding up to the next whole credit.

Any credit hours to be considered for transfer into a NCU academic program must:

  • Have been completed at a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution
  • Be equivalent to the degree program requirements, including specified electives
  • Appear on an official transcript from the institution where they were earned

Note: If students submit a transcript for basis for admission and the transcript has pending coursework or grades not posted to courses, those courses will not be evaluated for transfer credit until a transcript is submitted with final grades for those courses. NCU is not responsible for duplication of transferable courses that the student may have taken and received credit from a prior institution.

Non-Degree Applicants

Applicants who want to enhance their personal and professional knowledge but do not intend to pursue a degree, can enroll as a Non-Degree student. The application process for non-degree studies follows the standard admissions process outlined above.  Non-degree applicants must provide unofficial transcripts to demonstrate that they have the appropriate academic background for the course level requested (e.g., students requesting a Bachelor-level course must have a high school diploma).

There is no limit on the number of courses a student can take while in a non-degree status.  Tuition will be charged for all undergraduate courses at the current rate for the bachelor’s program at the time of course registration. Tuition will be charged for all graduate courses at the current rate for doctoral programs at the time of course registration. The Academic and Finance Advisor will advise the applicant if there are prerequisites for the course requested.

If the student later applies for admission to a degree program, they will be required to complete the admissions application for the degree program of interest and submit all required documentation for admissions. The student will be evaluated as a new applicant and must meet tuition requirements, graduation requirements, and policies in effect at the time of application to the degree program. In addition, non-degree coursework completed at NCU will be evaluated during the admissions process.

Matriculation

Students admitted to a degree program at NCU are considered matriculated into their degree program upon successful completion of their third degree course and participation in one day past the drop period of their fourth degree course (not including leveling coursework). Any student who does not successfully complete the first three degree courses and participate in one day past the drop period of their fourth degree course are considered non-matriculated and will not be used in calculating completion rates. See the Refund Policy and Procedure  for detailed information regarding the University’s drop period.

Student’s Right to Cancel

Students have the right to cancel the Enrollment Agreement and obtain a full refund of charges through attendance in Week 1 (day 7 of the first course).* Applicants who wish to cancel an enrollment agreement must contact their Academic and Finance Advisor at learnerservices@ncu.edu or call (888) 628-6904 prior to attending Week 2 of your first course. Cancellation or Withdrawal will be effective on the date that the notice is received.

The University reserves the right to cancel or terminate the agreement if the applicant fails to accept and attend their first course, meet basic academic requirements during provisional admissions periods, violate the Student Code of Conduct, fail to make satisfactory academic progress, fail to make payment in accordance with the terms of the student finance agreement, and/or fail to meet attendance requirements as outlined in the NCU Course Catalog.

If students obtain loan(s) to pay for their educational program, they have the responsibility to repay the full amount of the loan plus interest, less the amount of any refund that is owed under the refund policy.

* Students at NCU are provided with the first lesson and all course materials upon student acceptance of a course.

Readmission

All students seeking to resume attendance at NCU are subject to readmission criteria. All students seeking to re-enroll at NCU must meet the basis for admission criteria in effect at the time of their readmission. This includes voluntary withdrawals in addition to dismissals for reasons such as non-attendance, non-payment, or violation of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Students dismissed due to a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, the University’s Academic Integrity policy, or due to any other legal or ethical matters, do not qualify for readmission to NCU.

Denied Admissions

NCU may refuse admission/re-entry to a potential student whose record shows previous or current misconduct that is deemed not to be in the best interest of the University community. The Office of Legal Affairs or designee will review all situations in which behavioral conduct issues or other issues that will prohibit student success are noted. When necessary, this officer will contact appropriate parties having knowledge of the applicant and/or the misconduct and make a decision as to whether admission of the applicant would be in the best interest of the NCU community. Any applicant denied admission under this policy may submit a written appeal to Provost@ncu.edu to be reviewed after the notification of the denial of admission. Details should include the student name, school, contact information, and a description of the circumstances including all supporting documents to be reviewed.