Nov 03, 2014 03:18 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The College of DuPage and National Louis University are partnering together to enable students to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services degree earned from National Louis University with all courses completed at College of Dupage's Glen Ellyn campus.

 The 3+1 degree program is designed for students who are working toward either an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Human Services Generalist or A.A.S. Addictions Counseling degree at College of DuPage.

During the first three years of this program, students complete an associate's degree and additional general education credits and transfer up to 90 credit hours of College of DuPage courses offered at the College Of Dupage's tuition rate. The fourth year, students complete an additional 30 credit hours of courses taught by National Louis professors at College of DuPage at a reduced National Louis tuition rate. To ensure successful program completion, students enrolled in the program also receive concurrent advising from the College Of DuPage and National Louis University.

"These agreements are a true milestone for College of DuPage, which now offers 13 3+1 bachelor's degrees with six partner universities that cover all academic discipline divisions at the College," Dr. Emmanuel Awuah, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at the College of DuPage, said in a statement. "These agreements with National Louis are additionally significant because they provide the opportunity for our students to complete education and training for careers in very strong, high-demand fields."

Lauren Mason, a 23-year-old student at College of DuPage, is currently completing her A.A.S. Addictions Counseling degree. TheGlen Ellyn resident said she plans to enroll in the universities' 3+1 program as a convenient and affordable way to earn her bachelor's degree.

"Completing my degree at College of DuPage is something that is vital to my educational plan. After earning my A.A.S. from [the College of DuPage], I will be prepared to go into the human services field and start an internship. After this is completed, I will take my CADC exam and become a certified alcohol and drug counselor," Mason said. "The 3+1 program in particular is providing me with an opportunity to earn my bachelor's at a discounted rate, with NLU accepting more credits toward my degree than any other program. I am looking forward to helping and making a difference in people's lives. I have always had a passion for the human services field, and the new 3+1 program will help greatly to fulfill this dream."

Among the state's public colleges and universities, College of DuPage serves more than 28,000 students each term and is the second largest provider of undergraduate education in the State of Illinois after University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 National Louis University is a nonprofit, non-denominational University offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in fields of education, management, human services, counseling, public policy, and others concerned with human and community development.

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