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Admissions

Doctoral Degree Program Requirements

Admission to Northcentral University's Doctoral program in the School of Education or the School of Business and Technology Management requires a conferred Master's degree from an accredited academic institution. Applicants holding other doctoral degrees (MD, DO, DC, DDS, DVM, etc.) may be admitted into a doctoral program at the discretion of the Dean.

Admission to the Doctoral programs in the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences will be determined by the degree used for basis of admissions:

Psychology Programs

In order to enter the doctoral (PhD) program in psychology, applicants must have earned a master's degree from an accredited university. There are three options for entering the doctoral program in psychology:

1. Direct Entry – Individuals with a previously completed master's degree in any area of Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Social Work may immediately begin the 60 credit PhD program.

2. Evaluation Track – Individuals who have previously completed a master's degree in an area other than one listed above must have their transcripts evaluated to determine if previous coursework meets some or all of the Standard Curriculum requirements (see below). Students in the Evaluation Track would begin their degree plan with PSY7101 and PSY7102 and then take all required Standard Curriculum courses prior to taking the remaining courses in their degree plan.

3. Mental Health Policy and Practice Specialization Track – Individuals who wish to enroll in this program must be a licensed practicing clinician (i.e. social worker, counselor, therapist, psychologist, etc.) in their respective state. Individuals will automatically be enrolled in the 60 credit PhD program for this specialization.
Marriage and Family Therapy Programs
  • Applicants with a previously completed master’s degree in marriage and family therapy (not marriage and family counseling or any other mental health discipline) will enter the 72 credit PhD program.
  • Applicants with a completed master’s degree in a clinical discipline (counseling, clinical psychology, or social work) and are licensed or license eligible (e.g. in the process of pursuing licensure) in a clinical discipline must have their previous transcripts evaluated for potential transfer credit to meet some or all of the standard curriculum requirements (taken from the MAMFT program).

A current resume or CV is required with all applications for admission to the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences Marriage and Family Therapy programs.

International Transcripts

Northcentral University accepts students on a continual basis. The Application for Admission can be submitted online any time during the year. Acceptance may be granted based on unofficial transcripts. However, all official, sealed transcripts must be received from U.S. institutions by the end of the first course, and from foreign institutions within 6 months after the start of the first course.

If English is the second language of a student, an official score demonstrating English proficiency is required for admission. A minimum official examination score is required for admission to all Northcentral programs, as outlined under International Admissions.

Military Transcripts

We provide special assistance in obtaining military transcripts for U.S. military students. For more information, see Military Admissions.

Technical Requirements

You must have email access with the capability to send and receive attached files, and must be able to navigate the Internet. For more information, see Technical Requirements.

Admissions Process

You can generally complete the admissions process and begin your first course within 30 days. If you have a question at any time, contact an Enrollment Advisor at 1-866-776-0331.

  1. Complete the online application for admission, which will generate your personal identification number (PIN).

    Use your email address and the PIN we supply to log in and out of your application until it is completed. You must also:

    • Submit an application fee of $75. Pay through our secure server or call an Enrollment Advisor with your payment information.
    Note: Our policy at Northcentral University is to waive the application fee for Active Military, Guard/Reserves, Veterans, Retirees and Active Duty Military Spouse.
    • Send your official transcripts from other schools you attended by using our transcript request form. If you delay in requesting transcripts from other schools, your admission to Northcentral may be delayed. Your application is valid for one year.

    Additional information:

    • Members of the U.S. Armed Services will receive special instructions on how to obtain military transcripts.
    • International Applicants who have completed education outside the United States will be required to have a credential evaluation completed and may be required to submit an English Proficiency exam score. For details, see International Student Information.
  2. Get our academic evaluation.

    When we receive your application, the application fee and all of your transcripts, an Enrollment Advisor will review your application packet and determine if you are eligible for admission, as well as the number of transfer credits you will be awarded, if applicable. We will email you a notification upon completion of the review.

  3. Receive your online enrollment packet that includes:
    • An official, printable letter of acceptance or electronic enrollment agreement.
    • A proposed degree plan.
    • The first and second course requests for your review.

    Additional information:

    • Submit your initial tuition payment by eCheck or credit card.
    • If your employer pays tuition in advance rather than by reimbursing you, we can process appropriate forms and/or vouchers as required.
    If eligible, a Tuition Planner will be available for students using Financial Aid.
  4. Receive information for your first course.

    We offer course starts every Monday. Once you have been accepted to the university, your Enrollment Specialist will help you access the Student Web site and schedule your courses. An orientation of your Student Website will be scheduled/completed at the time of enrollment to acclimate you to all our electronic resources. This includes your internal message system, writing center, library, bookstore, university documents and course syllabus. Once your course is active, your Academic Advisor will be available to help you throughout your program.

Click here to Apply Now or call us at 1-866-776-0331.

Transfer Students

Northcentral University welcomes transfer students. We accept transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities, and from institutions approved by a foreign nation's Minister of Education where their approval process is comparable to accreditation in the United States.

After conducting an academic evaluation of your college transcripts, we will accept credits in transfer appropriate to your Northcentral degree program. For PhD online degree programs, you may have a maximum of 12 Doctoral semester credits considered for transfer and for DBA and EdD, a maximum of 9 semester credits. Course grades must be 3.0 ("B") or better, and must have been completed within three calendar years of the evaluation for transfer.

Northcentral welcomes all students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or in any other way in any of its policies, practices or procedures involving applicants, Students, Faculty Mentors, staff and the public. We reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone we believe does not meet our academic standards.