About NCU

Mission

Northcentral University educates students through access to inclusive, personalized, and innovative learning-centered experiences. We support every student in becoming life-long learners and promote their ability to make meaningful contributions to their personal and professional communities.

Vision

Northcentral University develops ethical leaders and professionals who successfully compete in a complex global society and continually strive to improve the human condition.

VALUES I.D.E.A.S. FOUNDED ON INTEGRITY

The NCU values of Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, and Social Justice are supported by the Inclusive Excellence Framework, promoting a quality educational experience and ensuring that all members of the NCU community are held to the highest standards of professional and academic conduct in a favorable institutional climate for all. These values help us work together in a positive and equitable way, while always keeping student success and community engagement as our goal.

Innovation:  NCU actively embraces innovative, intentional, and growth-oriented change. While we respect the traditions of higher education, we understand that some traditions can become outdated. We are forward-thinking and are always growing and evolving. In order to lead in a global environment, we encourage the engagement, actions, and collaboration of our full community. We implore each member to see themselves as a change-agent as we work to face educational challenges and improve the quality of our program and services.

Diversity:  We are committed to expanding educational opportunities. We celebrate the diversity of thought, action, cultures, and social groups within our community and are committed to equity and inclusion for all people. We act on our belief that the educational journey will be enhanced when we actively promote respect and understanding among all cultures, social groups, and experiences. We commit to systemic transformation in order to dismantle inequities as we promote justice for all.

Excellence:  Our community is committed to the pursuit of the highest quality in academics and service and strives for continuous improvement in everything we do. We embrace a graduate culture, contribution to research, commitment to our professions, contribution to the field, intellectual honesty, and academic integrity. We define and measure outcomes and take action to ensure that our community’s passion for excellence is never compromised.

Accountability:  We have a personal and professional obligation to make our university and external communities better, to pursue excellence, and to do things in ways that further the mission, vision, and values of the university.

Social Justice: We recognize the socio-political history that shapes access to power and privilege as well as the experiences of oppression. We commit to policies, practices, and behaviors that lead to equitable outcomes and opportunities for all.

Distance Learning at NCU

In the distance-learning environment, students and faculty interact via the NCUOne Learning Management System (LMS). The University uses a personalized teaching model wherein students and faculty interact synchronously and 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 their 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 Building Locations

• Arizona: 8667 E. Hartford Drive Suite #100; Scottsdale, AZ 85255 (Service Center)
• California: 9388 Lightwave Avenue; San Diego, CA 92123 (Administrative/Legal Headquarters)

Board of Trustees Members

• Michael R. McGill, (Chair); President, MMS Design Associates
• E. Lee Rice, (Vice Chair); CEO and Medical Director, Lifewellness Institute
• Thomas Topuzes, (Secretary); President and CEO, Thomas Topuzes & Associates, LLC
• Richard Chisholm, (Treasurer); Executive, Retired
• Michael R. Cunningham (Ex Officio); Chancellor, National University System
• Stacy Allison, Professional Speaker, Author
• Ana Gomez Chapman, Managing Director, Hamilton Lane
• Thomas Clevinger, Managing Partner, Cornerstone Growth Advisors
• Jeanne Connelly, President, Connelly Consulting
• Kim Folsom, Serial High Tech, Venture-Backed Entrepreneur
• Harold H. Greenberg, Executive, Retired
• Ruthann Heinrich, Executive, President, Nuance Wines
• Erlinda J. Martinez, Higher Education President, Retired
• Joanne M. Pastula, Executive, Retired
• Dan Pittard, Chairman and CEO, Pittard Partners LLC
• Tahjar Roamartinez, Founder & CEO, Cyber Warfighters Group
• Carlos Rodriguez, CEO, Rodriguez & Company
• Lee Willis-Irvine, US Chief Diversity Officer, ASML Group
• Gerald Czarnecki, (Trustee Emeritus); Chairman and CEO, Deltennium Group, Inc.
• Robert Freelen, (Trustee Emeritus); VP Public Affairs, Stanford University

History & Accreditation of NCU

Founded in 1996, NCU is a regionally accredited, private, online, and graduate-focused university, serving professionals globally. 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)
• NCU Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM), Masters of Science in Accounting (MSA), Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (PhD-BA), and Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership (PhD-OL) 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) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
• NCU offers the first primarily distance-based Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy (PhDMFT) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
• The PhDMFT and MAMFT programs are accredited by the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) accrediting body, International Accreditation Commission for Systemic Therapy Education (IACSTE)
• The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has recognized Northcentral’s Human Resources Management specialization for the MBA program as fully aligned with SHRM standards
• NCU’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• NCU’s Master of Health Administration program has received candidacy status from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the national organization that grants accreditation to graduate degree programs. The acceptance of the MHA program into CAHME Candidacy demonstrates the School of Health Sciences’ commitment to continuous quality improvement through a focus on attaining CAHME accreditation.
• The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
• The School of Law is accredited by The Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California
• The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and the Paralegal Certificate programs are approved by the American Bar Association
• The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) has fully accredited 5 specializations under the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), 11 specializations under the Master of Education (MEd),  the Master of Education in Educational Leadership (MEEDL), 11 specializations under the Educational Specialist (EdS), the Education Specialist in Educational Leadership (EdS-EDL), 11 specializations under the Education Doctorate (EdD), the Education Doctorate in Educational Leadership (EdD-EDL), 11 specializations under the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD-ED), and the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership (PhD-EDL)
  • Accredited MAT Specializations: Curriculum and Teaching, E-Learning, English Language Learning, Reading Education, Special Education
  • Accredited MEd, EdS, EdD and PhD Specializations: Curriculum and Teaching, E-Learning, Early Childhood Education, English Language Learning, Instructional Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Reading Education, School Safety/Security, Social Emotional Learning, Special Education, Trauma-Informed Educational Practices

Institutional Learning Outcomes

Academic Sessions

The academic year for the School of Law JD Program is divided into two 16-week semesters and one 10-week summer session:

Note: Part-time students in the School of Law generally complete their JD program in four years. 

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:

Commencement Calendar

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