Northcentral University

Northcentral University is an online university. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, education specialist degrees and certificates. The school features an NCU Fast Forward program that allows students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a faster, seamless program. The school also offers accelerated master’s degree programs through which students can earn a master’s degree in less than a year. The accelerated program requires students to spend 30-to-35 hours of study each week and students must be good at time management to succeed in the programs.

Online Master’s Programs at Northcentral University

Northcentral University appears in our ranking of the Top 35 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Higher Education Online.

The Master of Science in Nursing is a 36 credit-hour program that can be earned with a specialization in management and organizational leadership. The program aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing “Essentials” as well as the nurse leader skills from the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Students entering the program must have valid RN licenses. Some of the areas addressed in the program are healthcare leadership; data-driven decision making; healthcare law; resource and financial management; and human resource competencies such as recruitment, retention and staffing. There are 12 courses in the 36 credit-hour program, and it can be completed in 26 months.

Other degrees are the Master of Human Resource Management; the Master of Science in Educational Psychology; and the Master of Legal Studies.

The M.S. in Legal Studies program does not intend to train people to enter practice as lawyers. Instead, this program is for people who want legal-related careers and in careers significantly impacted by the legal system. The program contains 33 credit hours and covers criminal and civil legalities. There are eleven courses, and the program can be completed in 30 months.

The Master of Arts in Psychology is a 30-to-36 credit-hour program that can be earned in four specializations. It is not a licensure program. There are 10 to 12 courses that can be completed in 18 months. There are four requisite courses: Foundations for Graduate Study in Psychology; Professional Ethics, Law and Psychology; Theories of Human Development and Research Design. There are also five specialization courses and a capstone. The degree can be earned in a generalist track or in a gender diversity track. The gender diversity track contains 18 credit-hours. Courses are Psychology of Gender; LGBTQ Affirmative Psychology; Psychology of Sex and Sexuality; Theories of Personality; and Introduction to Gender Variance.

The Master of Science in Computer Science contains “hands-on” components. Sample courses are Software Engineering, Risk Management, and Innovation and Strategy. During the program, students develop a portfolio of original research and work. The 30 credit-hour programs can be completed in 23 months. There are 10 courses.

The Master of Science in Forensic Psychology is a criminal justice-based program. It follows the one-to-one model and features a mentor for each student. The program contains 30 credit-hours, 10 courses and can be completed in 20 months. Students in this program may select a non-clinical internship.

The MBA at Northcentral University can be earned with seventeen specializations. There is also an accelerated pathway. There are 30 credit-hours in 10 courses and the program can be completed in 16 months except for the accelerated pathway which takes under a year. Specializations for this degree include a Criminal Justice MBA; Applied Computer Science MBA; Financial Management MBA; Health Services MBA; Human Resources MBA; Management MBA; Management of Engineering and Technology MBA; Project Management MBA; Strategic Management MBA; Entrepreneurship MBA; Homeland Security MBA; and others.

The Master of Education in Educational Leadership requires students to have a teaching license and three years of teaching experience. It can be earned in one of 18 specializations and is available with two accelerated schedule options.

The Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (MSOL) can be earned in one of six specializations and has an accelerated schedule option.

About Northcentral University

This school was founded in 1996 as a for-profit online university based in San Diego, California. It awards bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, education specialist degrees and certificates.

There are five schools in the university. The school says it does not focus on a “broad-based” education but instead concentrates on career-pertinent courses.

Northcentral has a one-on-one learning model which means every student is paired with a faculty member. That process results in a “class size of one” and a mentor for each student.

Northcentral University Accreditation Details

WASC Senior College and University Commission
Council on Higher Education Accreditation
Accrediting Council for Business Schools and Programs
Commission on Accrediting for Marriage and Family Therapy Education

Northcentral University Application Requirements

First-time undergraduate students complete the online application and pay the non-refundable application fee of $25. They must also arrange for their high schools to send their official transcripts to the university. The agency which administered the SAT or ACT should send those official results as well. The last step is the completion of the FAFSA form.

Graduate students complete the online application as well. They must also arrange for the submission of their official transcripts of undergraduate college work. If the student’s GPA is less than 3.0, they should send either GMAT or GRE scores at or above the fiftieth percentile or an academic essay. Graduate applicants should also submit one graduate admission reference form, a resume and complete an essay on one of two prescribed topics.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition at Northcentral depends upon whether students are undergraduates or graduates and upon the programs they selected. The Bachelor of Business Administration, for instance, is $3,159 per course. Course materials are another expenditure. The cost of attending for undergraduates in this program is $30,510 plus personal expenses and fees.

The cost of the MBA at Northcentral University is $3,159 per course or $32,990 for the program, but that does not include books, materials and other expenses. The M.Ed. program is $23,720 and the Master of Science in Computer Science is $31,050.

Students in online universities still qualify for FAFSA funds, and so the school makes the completion of that form part of the admissions process. The school offers some scholarships but recommends that students search for private opportunities as well as loans and grants. The advantage of an online university is the ability to continue to work while earning a degree. Still, full-time employment and online study 30-to-35 hours a week is a difficult task. Students should still seek some financial aid to help pay for their degree programs at Northcentral University.

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