We are a diverse community of learners dedicated to preparing students to be curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful citizens and leaders in local, national and global contexts.
History
North Central College was founded in 1861 by the Evangelical Association, a forerunner of the United Methodist Church. Until 1870 the College was located in Plainfield, IL, and was originally known as Plainfield College. The name of the College was changed to North-Western College in 1865 and to North Central College in 1926. The College’s founders expressed the advanced thought for that day that “Christian commitment and intellectual attainments are compatible,” and from the beginning the College was non-sectarian in its hiring and admission practices. This pioneering concept—along with the commitment to the inclusiveness and diversity of the United Methodist Church—is part of the heritage of North Central and continues to add depth and meaning to its programs.
Degrees awarded
North Central College offers graduate degrees that complement and enhance the College’s distinctive educational mission and liberal arts heritage by providing opportunities for advanced scholarly work and professional development: Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, Master of Arts in Professional and Creative Writing, Master of Arts in Sports Leadership, Master of Athletic Training, Master of Business Administration, Master of Education in Educational Leadership, Master of Education in Instructional Coaching, Master of Human Resource Management, Master of Occupational Therapy, Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, Post Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate and Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Accreditation and Affiliation
North Central College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which can be reached at 230 S. LaSalle St, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411, by calling 312.263.0456, or via the internet at http://www.hlcommision.org.
The College is also accredited by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. It maintains membership in the American Council on Education, the Council of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, the Associated Colleges of Illinois and The New American Colleges & Universities (as a founding member).
Master of Athletic Training
North Central College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) located at 6850 Austin Center Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731-3184. The program will have its next comprehensive review during the 2027-2028 academic year.
Master of Occupational Therapy
The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Master of Physician Assistant Studies - Provisional Status Accreditation
Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-north-central-college/.
North Central College matriculated its first class in January, 2022.
For more information about the accreditation process, ARC-PA can be reached at:
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) located at 3325 Paddocks Parkway, Suite 345, Suwanee, Georgia 30024; Phone: 770-476-1224; Fax: 470-253-8271;AccreditationServices@arc-pa.org.
Doctor of Physical Therapy - Pending Approval
The North Central College School of Education and Health Sciences is currently developing a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Pending Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education approval, the Program will enroll its first cohort in January 2023 and graduate its first cohort in May 2025.
Current Accreditation Status:
Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
North Central College is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on June 1, 2022. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
North Central College does not discriminate in its admission policy, programs or activities on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, handicap, disability, veteran status or unfavorable discharge from military service. Nor does the College discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, handicap, disability, veteran status or unfavorable discharge from military service in its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other College-administered programs or hiring practices and programs. In addition to meeting fully its obligations of non-discrimination under federal and state laws, North Central College is committed to maintaining a community in which a diverse population can live and work in an atmosphere of tolerance, civility, and mutual respect for the rights and sensibilities of each individual, regardless of difference in economic status, ethnic background, political views or other personal characteristics and beliefs.
The College is also committed to providing all of its students, faculty, staff and visitors with access to its programs, events and facilities. To this end, and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the College has made and continues to make modifications to its facilities and programs so as to provide access for individuals with disabilities. Inquiries, requests for modifications beyond those already completed, appeals regarding assistance to accommodate individual needs or complaints regarding compliance with these federal regulations should be directed to the vice president for finance, the vice president for enrollment management and athletics or the vice president for student affairs.
Statistics related to the Student Right to Know and Campus Crime and Security Act are published annually in the Student Handbook and are available in the Office of Student Affairs.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
North Central College complies with all of the rules and regulations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Copies of the policy are available in the Office of the Registrar, and the policy is also published in the Student Handbook.
The College designates the following categories of student information as public or “directory” information: name; address (local and home); telephone numbers; email address; date and place of birth; class; major; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; physical factors (height and weight of athletes); photographs/video for College and other publications; the most previous educational institution attended; dates of enrollment; degrees and awards conferred, including dates; and current course load.
The above information may be disclosed by North Central College for any purpose at its discretion. Currently enrolled students can withhold disclosure of the information classified as “directory” information by notifying the Office of the Registrar in writing on or before August 15 each year. Requests for non-disclosure are in effect until the student notifies the Office of the Registrar in writing to remove the restriction.
Questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
Records Retention Policy
The Office of the Registrar maintains the physical academic records of admitted applicants, matriculated students and graduates for a maximum of 5 years after the later of application, non-attendance or graduation. This includes but is not limited to application and related correspondence, high school and college transcripts, general petitions and other related documentation.
The applicant, student or graduate’s academic record at the College is maintained permanently in an electronic format. This includes but is not limited to application information, courses enrolled and withdrawn, grades and credits earned, courses, grades and GPA accepted in transfer and applied to a degree awarded, degrees, certificates and honors awarded.
The official academic record is available to the student in the form of an official transcript. The official transcript is a term-by-term display of courses enrolled and withdrawn with grades, credits and GPA points earned, with the term and cumulative GPA, degrees, certificates and honors awarded. An official transcript may be ordered online for a fee, provided the student has no outstanding debt or documents owed to the college.
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