Northwestern Polytechnic University

Coordinates: 37°28′40″N 121°55′33″W / 37.4778°N 121.9259°W / 37.4778; -121.9259^[1] Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU) is a non-profit private institution of higher education located in Fremont, California, United States. The school, founded in 1984, awards bachelor's, master's, and doctor's degrees (although the doctor's is not accredited) in science, technology and management.

Academics

School of Engineering

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering
• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
• Master of Science in Computer Science
• Master of Science in Computer Systems Engineering
• Doctor of Computer Engineering (unaccredited)

School of Business

• Bachelor of Business Administration and Information Sciences
• Master of Business Administration
• Doctor of Business Administration (unaccredited)

Accreditation

NPU is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) to issue bachelor's and master's degrees.^[2] NPU's ACICS accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education^[3] and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.^[4] The current scope of accreditation for ACICS, as approved by the U.S. Department of Education^[5] and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, includes diploma programs and degree programs through the master's degree.

While the Doctor of Business Administration and the Doctor of Computer Engineering is approved through ACICS, the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation only recognize ACICS’ scope of accreditation through the Master’s degree level. Therefore, the U. S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) do not recognize this doctoral program. Accreditation of a doctoral program by ACICS does not make the program eligible for purposes of participation in federal student aid programs, as described in Title IV of the HEA.

NPU is recognized by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) as an institution exempted from the rules and regulations under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009^[6] based on qualifications under section 94874(j).

History

Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU) was founded by Dr. Ramsey Carter and Dr. Barbara Brown on January 2, 1984 and incorporated as a California nonprofit, public-benefit institution. The School of Engineering began granting Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering in November 1984, followed by the Master of Science in electrical engineering in 1985. NPU opened the Computer Systems Engineering programs at both the bachelor's and master's levels in 1987. On February 23, 1989 NPU attained full institutional approval from the California Department of Education.

The School of Business was established in 1995, offering the Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration and Information Sciences degrees. At the same time, the School of Engineering continued to expand its programs by offering bachelor's and master's degrees in Computer Science. In January 1998, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) accredited NPU to award bachelor's and master's degrees.

Dr. George Hsieh, serving as NPU's President since 1991, retired as of September 1, 2015.^[7]

Controversy

A recent investigation by Buzzfeed has brought into question the operations of the university, especially in light of its high proportion of international students from India.^[8]

References

External links

• Northwestern Polytechnic University homepage