Counseling and Psychology Programs at National Louis University
With degree programs available at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, National Louis University offers some solid choices for students with an interest in counseling and/or psychology. The university’s Bachelor of Arts in Psychology provides students with a strong background in the social sciences. It includes a psychology core that is worth 50 credits and includes courses such as Social Psychology, Psychology of Learning, Lifespan Development, Mental Health and Culture and Self. Students will also take a psychology seminar as one of their last classes.
The Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology is open to graduate students who want to learn more about human behaviors and theories of psychology. It offers concentrations in general and community psychology as well as teaching of psychology and psychological assessment. The base program includes classes such as Advanced Social Psychology and Advanced Theories of Personality. They will take nine credits of concentration courses and 15 credits of core psychology classes, including Advanced Abnormal Psychology, Research Design, and Advanced Developmental and Cognitive Psychology.
Several other graduate programs help students become licensed counselors. One option is the university’s Master of Science (MS) in Counseling, which includes concentrations in school counseling and clinical mental health counseling. The clinical mental health counseling program includes 60 semester hours of work over 17 classes. Those classes include Theories of Counseling, Professional Practice and Ethics in Human Services, Introduction to Theory and Practice of Family Therapy and Counseling for Career Development. Students also receive credit for the practicum and the two internships that they do.
The university’s school counseling program also features a counseling practicum and two internships. Students take 17 courses that include Research and Evaluation Methodology, Fundamentals of Counseling, Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis and Perspectives on Substance Abuse Counseling. Those who do not have a teaching license must take an additional 7.5 credits to make up for the classes their peers took and the experience they have. National Louis University also offers one of the only doctoral programs in community psychology in the country. This program includes an internship, dissertation, and courses that include Community Organizing, Pilot Research in Community Psychology, Consultation in Community Psychology and Grant Writing Focused on Community Needs.
NLU also offers an online M.S. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology that can be completed in just 20 months.
About National Louis University
National Louis University is a private university that specializes in distance education learning. Founded in 1886 as a small school for women, it trained students on the basics of working with children in kindergarten. It became the Chicago Kindergarten College and later the National College of Education before becoming National Louis University. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the university also uses the abbreviation NLU. NLU also has campuses in Poland and Florida, though the Chicago campus is still its center of operations.
In addition to distance education programs, NLU offers opportunities for students to study on its campuses too. The Chicago campus is in the historic Peoples Gas Building and is close to the Art Institute of Chicago. A deal with Kendall College led to an increase in the university’s enrollment because it allowed students to transfer to NLU.
National Louis University Accreditation Details
NLU received regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) and maintained that accreditation until the organization shut down. The organization that took over is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which also granted accreditation to NLU.
National Louis University Application Requirements
All undergrads applying to NLU must submit an application. The university recommends that they use the online application because they can complete it in 20 minutes and get an answer quickly. Those who use the application portal also have the option of logging out and returning later to submit their work. A mail-in application is also available, and the university does not charge a fee for either application. Students only need to let the university know where they went to high school and whether they finished school. They may need to submit high school transcripts too.
NLU offers an online checklist that students can view when applying to any program that shows them exactly what they need to submit. Graduate students need to have a degree from an accredited college or university and submit an application, resume, and transcript. The psychology program requires either a writing sample or a score from a writing exam and two letters of recommendation. Each letter should explain how the author knows the student and how long they knew each other. Students will also provide a writing sample of up to 500 words and meet with a faculty member who will evaluate the applicant. The counseling program requires a writing sample, three letters of recommendation and a personal essay. A test score is required of any student applying to the school counseling program who wants to get a counselor license.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The cost of attendance at NLU for undergrads is $10,260 per year for students in the traditional psychology program. An evening version of the program is available and charges students $6,000 each term. Part-time undergrads pay $430 per credit hour for the psychology and other courses they take. Students in the counseling and psychology graduate programs pay $759 per credit hour, which is the same rate that students in other programs through the university’s College of Professional Studies and Advancement pay. All doctoral candidates studying psychology pay $774 per credit hour.
NLU offers financial aid that falls into six different categories. Those categories include benefits for military students and veterans and assistantships that go to graduate students. Assistants earn up to $18 an hour and can help their teachers with research projects or work in the classroom. They also receive flexible schedules that work around their classes. Discounts are available for students who work for certain organizations and corporations too.
The other aid available from the university goes to students who use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is how students qualify for work-study, loans, and grants. Work-study pays students a wage higher than the national minimum wage and lets them work a full 10 hours each week. NLU also has scholarships that go to transfer students, graduate students and new undergrads. When students apply to the counseling and psychology programs at National Louis University, the university will decide which types of financial aid they should get.