Distance Learning | News

Northwestern Counseling Master's Going Online

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 07/24/14

Northwestern University's Family Institute in Illinois is taking its counseling master's program completely online. The university is partnering with 2U on the Counseling@Northwestern program, which could draw students from around the world, will feature live classes and coursework with video case studies and research, led by members of the same faculty teaching the face-to-face courses. Attainment of the degree will also include two years of immersive clinical practice and internships, set up by Northwestern faculty and chosen based on student location and career goals.

The structure of most 2U partnerships with institutions is a division of labor. The university provides faculty, content and instruction and approves applicants for the program. 2U runs the online degree courses on its own platform and provides marketing, recruiting and technical support. Revenues generated through the program are split between the two entities, with 2U taking the larger share. Current partners, among others, include the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina, both of which have two online degree programs with 2U.

"By offering our Master of Arts in Counseling program online we now have the opportunity to extend our mission of strengthening and healing families from all walks of life through clinical service, education and research," said Cheryl Rampage, executive vice president of the Family Institute. "This new program will provide the same rigorous, world-class training that we offer on campus to a new group of students beyond the Chicago metropolitan area."

The new master of arts in counseling program will accept applications this fall and begin classes in spring 2015.