Boston-based Northeastern University opened its Center City campus in January 2012 with eight masters programs. Now, the University is adding seven masters degrees and two doctoral degrees. The programs were approved two weeks ago by the UNC Board of Governors.
The doctoral degrees – in nursing and physical therapy – are the first to be approved for a university based outside of North Carolina. Cheryl Richards is the CEO and dean of the Charlotte campus.
She says the programs will offer a hybrid of online and classroom teaching that caters to working professionals. That's Northeastern's target market.
"We were very intentional about the delivery format, giving professionals an opportunity to have a hybrid experience with both face-to-face classroom and online experiences," Richards says.
She says the school has no intention of adding undergraduate programs. There are currently 150 students enrolled at the school. Richards says most have 10-15 years of work experience.
The new masters programs include specialized degrees in business, education, science, healthcare and leadership. Richards says the school has already received a few applications for the programs, which will begin in the fall.