Northwest University

My degree program diversified my thinking and enabled me to interact with many people and cultures different from the one I came from. I realized how ethnocentric I was and was challenged to think about things rather than just go along with what I had always done. In my program, I had the privilege to travel to many countries and learn about different cultures. There is so much we can learn from people that come from different backgrounds than the one we come from. Through my travels and studies,... Read More I was changed and made a better person for it. Little did I know, but my degree program prepared me to marry my husband, who is from a different country and culture. There is something to be learned from everyone and every culture. The culture we come from is not the better one, it is just different.

Northwest University prides itself on community, and rightfully so. From the first moment you move into your dorm on campus, to the time spent with classmates and professors in your classroom, to the final prayer you pray with your classmates at your graduation ceremony, Northwest University is intentional about community. But our community goes beyond just the Kirkland campus. At Northwest, almost all degrees require some sort of cross-cultural experience. Meaning, you'll spend some portion of your... Read More undergraduate studies abroad, building relationships and forming experiences with people who have a different worldview than you, in a place you may have never been. It is easy to feel as though you are in a bubble during your formative college years, but with classmates from around the world, teachers who are constantly traveling to learn more, and your own personal cross cultural experience, your world will not look the same after you graduate. Although all of the global reach may seem daunting, Northwest Universitys small student body, low classroom ratios, and community life involvement, ensure that you can get one on one attention from professors, counselors, campus staff, and not get lost in the waves of students. As a student who was moving over 350 miles away from home, I found it easy to make friends in the classroom, join small groups, and get involved in fun ways around campus. Don't be afraid to get involved on campus and try something new. Northwest is a place where everyone can belong, and everyone can find community. It is a launching pad to send you into the world with different eyes and establish a firm foundation for your faith.

Northwest University prides itself on community, and rightfully so. From the first moment you move into your dorm on campus, to the time spent with classmates and professors in your classroom, to the final prayer you pray with your classmates at your graduation ceremony, Northwest University is intentional about community. But our community goes beyond just the Kirkland campus. At Northwest, almost all degrees require some sort of cross-cultural experience. Meaning, you'll spend some portion of your... Read More undergraduate studies abroad, building relationships and forming experiences with people who have a different worldview than you, in a place you may have never been. It is easy to feel as though you are in a bubble during your formative college years, but with classmates from around the world, teachers who are constantly traveling to learn more, and your own personal cross cultural experience, your world will not look the same after you graduate. Although all of the global reach may seem daunting, Northwest Universitys small student body, low classroom ratios, and community life involvement, ensure that you can get one on one attention from professors, counselors, campus staff, and not get lost in the waves of students. As a student who was moving over 350 miles away from home, I found it easy to make friends in the classroom, join small groups, and get involved in fun ways around campus. Don't be afraid to get involved on campus and try something new. Northwest is a place where everyone can belong, and everyone can find community. It is a launching pad to send you into the world with different eyes and establish a firm foundation for your faith.

My college experience as an English major at Northwest University was superb. Each professor is invested, caring, intentional, and determined to bring out the best in you as a student, adult, and future worker. Being at Northwest taught me to embrace the fullness of my capabilities, dreams, and ambitions; they taught me to reach to the highest goal I had and believe I could get there. However, this confidence and belief would not have been possible without the influence of my professors at this University.... Read More

I am just beginning the graduate program but I am receiving my undergraduate degree next week and am familiar with the school. Northwest University is a small, private college with great student-teacher ratios and qualified professors. I have enjoyed my time there and look forward to finishing my Masters in Teaching next year. This is an 11-month intensive graduate program that is designed for adult students (which I am). I appreciate that they have found a way for older students to finish their... Read More requirements in a short amount of time. The "con" is that it is very expensive and if I were to receive a scholarship it would help immensely!

The International Community Development program is centered on the development of impoverished nations, and distribution of social justice across the seas and here in the U.S. This itself is a pro. Never have I heard of such a program, one that is focused on working for the well-being of humanity. With this comes professors who not only teach at us, but are experts in their fields who have great experience in community development. The accessibility of the staff and professors has been great thus... Read More far, and has been a big help in my learning process. In addition, the quality of education is very great, but at the same time constantly being revised to better the program. The cohort system has done wonders for my learning experience, and the diversity of the class (people from across the country and even across the seas) has helped me to gain perspectives I could not beforehand. The few cons consist mainly of the way the classes are set up. As of now, the classes are taken at the same time, meaning we meet for one class one week, then another class the following week. We do this for 4 or 5 classes. With the amount of workload each class requires, juggling so much coursework could end up making each course a burden. It can quickly become about just getting an assignment done, rather than fully grasping the content of each class, and championing each homework assignment. It would seemingly be beneficial to set the classes up in intensives, where each class in taken over a period of a few weeks, ends, and then the next class starts. This gives us students the chance to fully wrap our minds around the theories we are learning, and allow us devote our full attention to one class. I am not sure if this is feasible, but I do believe the director of our program is considering this method for the following cohort.

Starting at Northwest I thought I had it all figured out as far as my major. They say most people change their major more than once. I had it set in my mind that I would not, rather that I'd start and finish my degree in Nursing. My plans didn't go that way - as most plans don't. The academic advisers sat down with me and worked with the credits that I had to still graduate on time by using the General Studies degree. I was basically able to create a major that worked well for me, and really was... Read More the best of both worlds - graduating on time, and with a degree that was right up my alley! My final degree was General Studies with an Emphasis in Science & Healthcare. Knowing that I wanted to end up in the Healthcare field - regardless as of what specifically, General Studies was the way to go for me!

Overall I am quite pleased with the MACP program at Northwest University. It was perfectly suited for those students who needed to maintain a full or part time job while continuing their education. The focus on Social Justice was also significant for me, and was something I greatly appreciated. The requirements to apply to the program made this program ideal for me. The cohort design to the program makes learning effective, and allows for the development of personal and professional relationships... Read More with classmates. I wouldn't trade my experience and time at Northwest U for anything.