The Family Institute at Northwestern University Now Accepting Applications for Online Master of Arts in Counseling Program, Counseling@Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. and LANDOVER, Md., Oct. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Family Institute at Northwestern University, in partnership with 2U, Inc., today announced that applications are now being accepted for Counseling@Northwestern, a new online Master of Arts in Counseling Program that prepares students to become clinical practitioners in a range of professional settings.

Counseling@Northwestern offers students across the U.S. the chance to earn a master's degree from the nationally renowned clinical mental health counseling program from The Family Institute at Northwestern University without relocating.  

"The Family Institute at Northwestern University is dedicated to strengthening and healing families from all walks of life by training the next generation of clinical mental health counselors. Additionally, the counseling program has a specific mission to help students use psychodynamic theory to emphasize the centrality of the therapeutic relationship and the importance of counselor self-reflection," said Dr. Francesca Giordano, program director for Counseling@Northwestern. "Through our partnership with 2U, we can now extend that mission to students outside of the Chicago metropolitan area, so they can remain at home and improve lives in their communities."

Leveraging 2U's leading cloud-based software-as-a-service platform, Counseling@Northwestern features collaborative, live classes during which students build meaningful relationships with peers and faculty in a face-to-face online setting. The curriculum also includes high-quality, interactive coursework developed by 2U's instructional designers and Northwestern University faculty, who actively work as clinicians and set the standard for innovative research and service in the field.

Counseling@Northwestern students participate in immersive, hands-on clinical training at field sites selected in partnership with Northwestern University faculty and chosen with each student's location and career goals in mind. The program also features in-person immersion experiences, which allow students to meet classmates and professors outside of the virtual campus and practice counseling skills with peers. The program is currently under review for accreditation, and all coursework and clinical training are based on standards set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Students in the online counseling degree program, which holds candidates to the same admissions standards as the traditional on-campus program, will complete the program in two years. Applications for the inaugural cohort, which begins on March 30, 2015, are due by February 2, 2015. Future cohorts begin in June and September 2015. For more information, please visit counseling.northwestern.edu, or contact an admissions counselor at 1-844-684-6221 or [email protected].

About Northwestern University
Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is one of the country's leading private research and teaching universities with an enrollment of approximately 8,000 full-time undergraduate students and approximately 8,000 full-time graduate and professional students and approximately 2,000 part-time students on campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries. Northwestern provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth in a setting enhanced by the richness of Chicago.

About The Family Institute at Northwestern University
The Family Institute at Northwestern University (www.family-institute.org) is committed to strengthening and healing families from all walks of life through clinical service, education, and research. An affiliate of Northwestern University, The Family Institute is a unique, innovative not-for-profit organization, governed by its own independent Board of Directors and responsible for its own funding. The Institute offers a wide range of high quality mental health counseling through its staff practice and sliding-fee scale Bette D. Harris Family and Child Clinic, with a commitment to serving at-risk, under-resourced communities. The Family Institute also operates two nationally renowned graduate programs in marriage and family therapy and counseling in affiliation with Northwestern University, and conducts cutting-edge research projects that lead to a better understanding and treatment of mental health issues.

About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)
Founded in 2008 by a team of education and technology veterans, 2U enables leading colleges and universities to deliver their high-quality education to qualified students anywhere. Our cloud-based software-as-a-service platform provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure they need to attract, enroll, educate, support and graduate their students. Our mission is to enable the education our clients provide to reach its highest potential so students can reach theirs. To learn more, go to 2U.com.

Contacts:

Cyndi Schu, The Family Institute at Northwestern University
312-609-5300, ext. 483
[email protected]

Erin White, Northwestern University
847-491-4888
[email protected]

Doug Gunster, 2U, Inc.
301-892-4557
[email protected]

SOURCE 2U, Inc.