National Louis University's Innovative Groupon Offer Proves Successful in Reaching Aspiring Teachers

CHICAGO, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- National Louis University's first-of-its-kind partnership with Groupon (www.groupon.com) was successful in reaching aspiring teachers interested in taking an introductory graduate-level course in teaching, good for academic credit. The Groupon offer, sold at a 57 percent tuition discount, closed on September 10 at 11:59 p.m., and was bought by 18 individuals who were interested in potential careers as teachers. The number of course purchasers exceeded the minimum of 15 established for the Groupon deal to successfully "tip." This is the first time a higher education institution has used the Groupon model to attract potential students for academic credit.

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The introductory class, open to students with an undergraduate degree, is designed to provide students with an idea of what to expect in the entire Master's curriculum, which is a two-year graduate level program.  Students will learn trends and debates in the teaching profession; social, cultural political and economic forces in American education; how the K-12 sectors works (regulation, certification, policy); developing a personal philosophy/approach to teaching and be required to fulfill 15 hours of service learning field experience in an actual classroom.

"We are thrilled with the impressive response that we received from aspiring teachers who enrolled for the course, as well as from the academic community that was intrigued by this new approach to enrollment," said Dr. Nivine Megahed, president of National Louis University. "For 125 years, National Louis has focused on innovation and making education accessible, and this Groupon deal exemplifies this mission. This deal will give participating students a chance to take one course and see if they are ready to make the time and financial commitment to follow through with the entire graduate program."

In approximately one week, the Groupon deal reached a significant audience of interested individuals and provided additional exposure for National Louis among thousands of Groupon subscribers with increased website traffic and prospective student inquiries.

"The National Louis deal perfectly embodies Groupon's mission, introducing subscribers to unique opportunities they may not have known existed," said Julie Mossler, Director of Communications, Groupon. "National Louis executed this perfectly, offering a course created specifically for Groupon subscribers to explore the Master's curriculum. This deal is the foundation for an ongoing relationship with many of these buyers."

The graduate level course will run for 10 weeks and will be held on Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m., beginning September 26 at National Louis' downtown Chicago campus.

About National Louis University

In 1886, founder Elizabeth Harrison took the idea of early childhood education and built around it one of the first four-year colleges for teachers. Today, in the process of educating students, faculty in the National College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Management and Business continue to act on some of the most urgent problems of our time and our society. They are innovators, animated by an intense dedication to their students and a commitment to building more effective and more caring schools, communities and societies. For more information, visit www.nl.edu or www.nl.edu/125.

About Groupon

Groupon, launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in 45 countries around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer huge discounts and provide a win-win for business and consumers, delivering more than 1,000 daily deals globally. To subscribe for the best deals in your city, visit http://www.groupon.com. To learn how to become a featured business, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.

SOURCE National Louis University