Northcentral University

[rsager]

I am interested in if anyone has anything to say about Northcentral University. I am interested in the MA-Psychology (I/O emphasis) program. I read a lot of positive things about Walden, but do not see a lot about Northcentral. It is RA, any comments?

[tater03]

I'm not sure if this will help, but it might give you more of an idea what other people have to say about this University. I hope it helps.

http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=682

[rsager]

Hi, thanks for the link, but I think we are talking about two different universities. I am looking for information about Northcentral University (www.ncu.edu) and online university in Prescott, AZ.

Does anyone have info about this place?

[karenlyn]

I'm getting my degree from Arizona (Rio Salado, haha), and Northcentral was one of the ones I looked at. It ended up being a bit too pricey for me, seeing as Rio Salado was just 43$ a credit hour, which you just can't beat. I wish I had done more research so I could help you out.

[DRJ]

Karenlyn can you post the web site information for this school. Is it distance learning?

[coronakwl]

Actually, Rio Salado has a good reputation among employers as does the entire Maricopa County Community College system. Especially in health and justice sciences. I attended Paradise Valley CC, another school in the MCCC system, and had a really good experience there. The teaching staff was excellent. I was able to get my university transfer credits completed and earned both an A.A and an A.G.S. because of the breadth of classes I was able to take. And the resident tuition is really, really affordable.

[johann]

Their website is http://www.rio.maricopa.edu

Please note that the fees are $159 per credit hour if you're outside Arizona!

Looks like a great school!

Cheers :-)

Johann

[tommy]

RA??? what is that?

[johann]

RA means "Regionally Accredited" - accredited by one of the "Big Six" Regional Accrediting Bodies. www.chea.org lists them for you.

RA is the TOP level of U.S. Accreditation - and indisputably the most difficult level to attain.

NA means "Nationally Accredited" - which is a GOOD level, in my opinion.

National Accreditors include DETC (www.detc.org) and TRACS www.tracs.org). The CHEA website lists all the recognized National Accreditors.

Any "accreditation" below these two levels in the U.S. is UNRECOGNIZED - and you find schools with Unrecognized accreditation on the Oregon, Michigan and other states' UNACCREDITED lists - along with the schools with NO ACCREDITATION WHATSOEVER. ('Cause they're all equal!)

To get back to North Central - Yes, it IS RA! Accredited by the similarly-named but NOT related North Central Association of Schools and Colleges - which is unusual for an Arizona school. I read the logic behind this (and there is some genuine reason) but I've forgotten it.

The North Central University we're talking about is in Arizona and the website is www.ncu.edu

There's another North Central University - a religiously oriented school that "prepares Pentecostal leaders." This school is in Minneapolis and the website is www.northcentral.edu.

Doggone! It TOO is RA - Accredited by the same North Central Association! (The usual Regional Accreditor in this state.)

I've heard good things about the Arizona school. I know nothing about the Minneapolis one. There are bound to be North Central threads at www.degreeinfo.com www.degreediscussion.com and www.degreeboard.com

Try a search over there for starters!

Cheers :-)

Johann

[NcuMbaStudent]

I have taken a couple courses at NCU.edu (NorthCentral University, Arizona)

From my experience, this is a quick review.

There is very little to almost no interaction with the mentors (aka professors). They only like to communicate via email. You are almost never able to pick up a phone and call someone. This can be especially challenging if you are taking your 1st set of classes and have questions about the format etc.

The advisors also only provide assistance over web content & always ask you to refer to online documentation. This can get very old very quickly, as my perception is people take online courses as they are limited with the time they have, and would like to get responses fairly quickly.

NCU staff & administration constantly push for students (or learners) to use the NCU messaging system. This is very archaic system that only allows sending messages (messaging) between ncu personnel. Also this message system has no interaction to the outside world .. so if you are travelling & get a message from someone, then you cannot respond from any email client -- you have to log into the NCU webpage & respond.

I am finding that NCU online is very much aloof in terms of assisting students with any program or helping them review materials.

If you were able to pick up a text book, and write an exam, to get a grade, and eventually get a degree -- this is what you will experience at NCU.

It will certainly benefit if NCU put's some effort into their learner's online interface. its a very rudimentary system, put together to get a few students. However, now that they have a lot of student's signing up, it would be good to have a lot of interactive tools.

Hope this information helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Thanks,

[Tedmeister]

I'm not sure if this will help, but it might give you more of an idea what other people have to say about this University. I hope it helps.

http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=682Was that gizmo thing you posted from soul force about North Central University in Minnesota or Northcentral University in Arizona?

[Tedmeister]

To get back to North Central - Yes, it IS RA! Accredited by the similarly-named but NOT related North Central Association of Schools and Colleges - which is unusual for an Arizona school. I read the logic behind this (and there is some genuine reason) but I've forgotten it.

Cheers :-)

Johann There is actually nothing unusual about an Arizona school having accreditation from the North Central Association. Arizona is one of nineteen states in the North Central Association's jurisdiction, which are: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

[NcuMbaStudent]

http://www.ncu.edu/why_ncu/one-on-one_mentoring.aspx

On the website -- they advertise there "is a virtual community where your professor really is your professor, where your academic advisor really is your advisor, and where your fellow students are just an email away and connections are fostered through bulletin boards and blogs.

At NCU, online education does not mean working in isolation—it means close and frequent interaction, but on your own schedule, from your own home or office."

there is no blog, the bulletin boards are rarely used -- and it truly feels like you are working in isolation. Only questions can be asked by email, some don't get responded to.

[Dennis Ruhl]

http://www.ncu.edu/why_ncu/one-on-one_mentoring.aspx

there is no blog, the bulletin boards are rarely used -- and it truly feels like you are working in isolation. Only questions can be asked by email, some don't get responded to.

So what they say is correct but no-one chooses to use them. Working in isolation? A lot of people like it that way. Welcome to distance learning.

[Tedmeister]

Why is a thread on NCU - a legitimate RA school - being posted over in the Accredited/Unaccredited/State-Approved/Diploma Mill section?

[mrsdes7]

OK, so I have no problem working in isolation... Believe me, after four years of working in a program where I have had to work with study groups that have dragged my grades down time after time, I would welcome the opportunity to work in isolation for once!!

What I personally am interested in is the school's reputation... in other words, what will a potential employer think if they see North Central University on my resume? As a totally online school, will it have the same impact as say, a University of Phoenix? Will the employer expect that I have gotten a good education if I went to this school? Where exactly does this school rank in the mind of employers? Or is it still unknown enough that it might not even occur to an employer that it is an online school?

BTW, I am looking into the PhD in Business with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. I am interested in teaching once I have completed the program. So, would anyone who has experience with or knowledge of this school either recommend or warn against this particular school and program? And, if you want to warn me against it, do you have any suggestions for alternate options?

Thanks for your help!

[scaredrain]

OK, so I have no problem working in isolation... Believe me, after four years of working in a program where I have had to work with study groups that have dragged my grades down time after time, I would welcome the opportunity to work in isolation for once!!

What I personally am interested in is the school's reputation... in other words, what will a potential employer think if they see North Central University on my resume? As a totally online school, will it have the same impact as say, a University of Phoenix? Will the employer expect that I have gotten a good education if I went to this school? Where exactly does this school rank in the mind of employers? Or is it still unknown enough that it might not even occur to an employer that it is an online school?

BTW, I am looking into the PhD in Business with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. I am interested in teaching once I have completed the program. So, would anyone who has experience with or knowledge of this school either recommend or warn against this particular school and program? And, if you want to warn me against it, do you have any suggestions for alternate options?

Thanks for your help!

Hi, I have 2 masters degrees that were earned online and they have not stopped me from obtaining adjunct jobs in both the traditional and online settings. I currently am an adjunct for 3 local community colleges. I teach online and traditional courses with them. I also just landed an adjunct position at a fully online university, which I will not name, since I know recruiters and supervisors of such universities are now scouring the net, to see what their employees are posting about their institutions.

The point is as long as you know your material, have some experience in your field, at least 5 years, and teaching experience, especially online, not to mention course development experience (*biggie*), then you should not have a problem landing a position with any online university or college, even with one that is 100% online or a traditional one that offers online courses and programs.

The biggest obstacle is going to be experience teaching online and if you have a degree in a subject or field that is in demand. I teach computer technology, programming, and leadership courses, but I was lucky enough to have master degrees in both business and technology. I have noticed that many colleges are looking for people with multiple skill sets and of course at least 18 semester credit hours in various subjects.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I dont see how a doctorate from Northcentral will hurt your chances at employment, if anything it will help it. But I would try to get some experience under my belt first, if I were you, then go from there.

I hope my ramblings helped.

[Paul]

From what I hear, northcentral is one of the best.

[Contessa02]

I'm currently attending NorthCentral University, and have no problems whatsoever. I got my BA in Psychology at Columbia, and have found NCU very competent. As to what the poster said about them "not being there", and "only communicating via NCU messaging", that's bs. First off, it's an online school. SO you should get used to communicating online. That's kind of the whole idea. Second, all of my mentors (and advisor) have communicated with me via email. Actually, all my mentors have asked me which way I would prefer to correspond with them. I've always chose the NCU messaging. But my advisor and me use email. That's her choice I guess.
NCU is a really good school. Don't expect too much hand-holding(I had none at Columbia), but I've never waited more than a day or so for a reply from a question.