About Northeastern University

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in worldwide experiential learning, urban engagement, and interdisciplinary research that meets global and societal needs. Our broad mix of experience-based education programs—our signature cooperative education program, as well as student research, service learning, and global learning—build the connections that enable students to transform their lives. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools.

College of Arts, Media, and Design
College of Business Administration
College of Computer and Information Science
College of Engineering
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
College of Professional Studies
College of Science
College of Social Sciences and Humanities
School of Law

About the College of Professional Studies (CPS)

The College of Professional Studies provides adults (international students, community college transfers, working professionals and nontraditional students) with an education that is innovative, flexible, rigorous, and at the nexus of practice and academic theory. Our programs are designed to reflect our students’ career goals and provide them the opportunity for advancement. We have developed a rich academic curriculum that corresponds to thriving industries such as healthcare, education, management, and information technology.

Within the past five years, the College has introduced master’s degrees, added full degree programs online, and expanded programs for the mid-career professional. As the College continues to evolve, it will continue to expand internationally, offer more doctoral degrees and grow online programs.

History

1960: Trustees create University College (UC) as a part-time undergraduate evening college

1970: University College becomes one of the largest undergraduate part-time colleges in the United States with more than 15 suburban metro-Boston campuses

1990: Non-credit Center for Continuing Education merged into University College and Lincoln College (evening engineering technology), merged into the School of Engineering Technology

2004: University College renamed by Trustees to School of Professional and Continuing Studies, online and graduate degrees launched

2006: First class of master’s and doctoral students graduate; Lowell Institute School merged into the School of Professional and Continuing Studies

2007: The School of Professional and Continuing Studies adds the World Language Center, School of Education, Global Pathways, Online Education, and Executive Doctorate in Law and Policy

2008: The School of Professional and Continuing Studies is renamed the College of Professional Studies

2010: The Undergraduate Department of Education becomes part of the College of Professional Studies.

2015: Founding of the Lowell Institute School, for finishing bachelor’s in the high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering, or business.


Mission

The College of Professional Studies is committed to providing career-focused educational programs that are designed to accommodate the complex lives of motivated learners. Offered in a variety of innovative formats, our courses are taught by accomplished scholars and practitioners who have real-world experience. The result is an educational experience founded on proven scholarship, strengthened with practical application, and sustained by academic excellence.

Vision

The College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University seeks to transform the academic experience to meet the evolving needs of students who wish to pursue career and personal aspirations through education. We aspire to be the national leader in

  • Graduate professional education focused on career advancement for working adults
  • Global education in a multifaceted approach focused on strategic partnerships
  • Educational delivery modes which are considered to be best in class while providing outstanding access to the individual students
  • Innovative educational models serving urban students obtaining college degrees

Core Values

  • Access  We provide motivated learners access to a high-quality, world-class education, which allows them to achieve their career goals and aspirations. We pride ourselves on our history of providing educational opportunities to adult learners, diverse urban groups, and international students, which are highly aligned with industry-specific requirements and skills.
  • Excellence  Our career-focused educational programs provide the highest level of academic excellence to prepare our students with real-world experience. Our commitment to quality pervades all aspects of program design and assessment.
  • Innovation   Innovation is driven by an understanding that higher educational delivery must be managed in a fiscally sustainable model, enabling the enterprise to secure resources and infrastructure to achieve and strengthen its mission. Our innovative course design and flexible delivery models are defined by the evolving needs of the global student community and ensure that our programs meet the needs of adult learners and working professionals regardless of geographic location or industry.
  • Student-focused  We serve as catalysts to transform the academic experience to meet the needs of students. We are compelled to deliver an academic experience that is highly relevant and enriching to our students’ lives .
  • Global  Our curriculum is developed to align with the needs of the global economy’s leading industries. The diversity of our students reflects the global economy in which they will practice.

Accreditations

Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston, and a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

Additionally, the College of Professional Studies holds accreditation by the Project Management Institute’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC) for the Master of Science in Project Management and the Master of Science in Leadership with a specialization in Project Management.

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a self-regulatory membership organization, serves the public and educational community by developing and applying standards assessing the educational effectiveness of elementary, secondary, and collegiate educational institutions. Processes of self-evaluation and peer review utilizing the Association’s goals assure and improve the quality of institutions, which seek its accreditation. It also endeavors to inform public discourse about educational improvement.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Northeastern University is AACSB International accredited — this is the highest standard of accreditation for any business school worldwide. Institutions receiving AACSB International accreditation have superior faculty, high-caliber teaching, and meaningful interaction between students and faculty. They confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review process. Your degree and diploma will be the same as the one earned by on-campus students but without having to travel back and forth to campus.

Project Management Institute’s Global Accreditation Center (GAC) GAC is the world’s leading association for project management professionals. Accreditation is achieved by meeting the GAC’s rigorous standards, which include an assessment of program objectives and outcomes, a review of onsite and online resources, evaluation of faculty and students, and proof of continuous improvements in the area of project management.

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)   The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs.

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)   NASPAA accreditation recognizes that a master’s program in public affairs has gone through a rigorous process of voluntary peer review conducted by the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), and has met NASPAA’s Standards for Professional Master’s Degree Programs in Public Affairs, Policy and Administration.

Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET)  Northeastern University is accredited by The Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission is the recognized accreditor in the fields of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the official accreditor. ABET accredits over 3,100 programs at 600 universities nationwide. Through the College of Professional Studies (CPS) Lowell Institute School, CPS has six undergraduate programs accredited by ABET.

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