About the University

Mission

To deliver accessible world-class student experiences by providing quality programs and services that ensure student success through meaningful learning.

Vision

Our vision is to be an inclusive and innovative university serving life-long learners who contribute to the positive transformation of society. 

Values 

Our values are the guiding principles and fundamental beliefs that help us function as one team as we work toward achieving our common mission. 

• Quality - Academic quality is paramount to student success. To best achieve this value, we offer a highly supportive student experience that guides learners on their educational journey to the completion of a degree or certificate program. 
• Innovation - Contribution of new knowledge is central to the purpose of a modern university. Our valued commitment to innovating within higher education advances opportunities for our students, and all students, within higher education. 
• Collaboration - Partnering to meet the needs of students provides the most relevant and valued outcome. Whether with potential employers, community agencies, or partnering across disciplines within our own University, we are committed to working together toward student success. 
• Diversity - We are enriched by the extraordinarily diverse student body, faculty, and staff. Diversity of background, orientation, and thought are necessary and valued elements of a learned society. We proactively seek and support diversity within our entire enterprise. 
• Access - We believe that access to education is a fundamental right. Barriers to access can be finances, preparation, or simple logistics. We aspire to remove barriers to access as a means of creating social justice and a path toward a more productive life for our students. 

Distance Learning at the University

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 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

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.

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

Facilities

As an online university, the University 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 University systems and learning resources. 

University Building Locations

• 9388 Lightwave Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123 (Administrative/Legal Headquarters)

Accreditation & Academic Alignment

• The University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
• The University Master of Business Administration (MBA), 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 and Economics are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• The University 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)
• The University 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 the University’s Human Resources Management specialization for the MBA program as fully aligned with SHRM standards
• The University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree programs is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
• The JFK School of Law at National University is accredited by The Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California
• The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) has fully accredited 10 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 MEd Specializations: Curriculum and Teaching, E-Learning, Early Childhood Education, English Language Learning, Instructional Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Reading Education, School Safety/Security, Special Education, Trauma-Informed Educational Practices
  • Accredited 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

University Breaks and Holiday Closures

The University offices are closed on the following dates and students are notified through the University’s messaging system of such closures:

Commencement Calendar

The current commencement calendar and general information about the University’s commencement process and ceremony schedule can be found at https://www.nu.edu/national-university-2024-commencement/.