Family Institute and 2U Create Online Counseling Degree

EVANSTON, Ill., and LANDOVER, Md. --- The Family Institute at Northwestern University and 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) announced today that they will partner to deliver a new online Master of Arts in Counseling degree program, Counseling@Northwestern, which will begin accepting applications in fall 2014 for classes beginning in spring 2015.

The Family Institute at Northwestern University is renowned for training counseling students to become self-reflective clinical practitioners who offer mental health counseling to clients in a range of professional settings. Counseling@Northwestern will continue that tradition, offering students around the world the chance to earn a top-tier degree while improving lives in their own communities. All coursework and clinical training will be based on standards set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

“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 at Northwestern University. “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.”          

With a curriculum that will build students’ foundations in traditional counseling practices, the Counseling@Northwestern program will be delivered on 2U’s technology platform and will feature: 

• Collaborative, live classes, in which students build meaningful relationships with peers and faculty.
• High-quality, self-paced coursework, including video case studies and research, which integrates theoretical material with real-world therapeutic client interactions.
• Courses designed and led by Northwestern University’s cutting-edge faculty, who are leading the way in conducting psychotherapy and setting the standard for innovative research, teaching and service in the field.
• Two years of immersive, hands-on clinical practicum and internships selected by Northwestern University faculty and chosen with each student’s location and career goals in mind. 

“Northwestern University is among the world’s premier research universities and its counseling program is nationally renowned for preparing highly effective counseling professionals,” says Chip Paucek, CEO and co-founder of 2U. “We look forward to collaborating with The Family Institute at Northwestern University to leverage our learning platform and white glove student support services to expand their reach and to train more students in this important and growing field.”

More details about the new online program will be announced in fall 2014. For more information, please visit 2U.com.