Northeastern University…in the Northwest?

In a departure from the recent trend of proposed international satellite campuses for American institutes of higher educationYale in Singapore; New York University in Abu Dhabi; and Duke in Kunshan, ChinaBostons Northeastern University has decided to open several satellite campuses domestically.

On Monday Northeastern unveiled its Charlotte, North Carolina satellite branch, and has announced plans for expansion into the Seattle market, potentially in the next year. In addition, the university has plans to expand to several other urban markets across the country, including Austin, Texas and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The expansion is meant to offer specialized graduate degree options tailored to each region. In Seattle, for example, the university will host programs serving the technology industry, such as a masters degree in information assurance, which involves managing risk involved in the use and storage of information.

Northeastern will continue to operate in its traditional mode of interdisciplinary learning, offering students online and in-person options as well as a hybridized curriculum that integrates internships with classes.

While the university told the Seattle Times it was too early to say how much money this satellite campus would bring to the local economy, the prospect of such a campus would be a boon to both area employers and a cash-strapped state that has had to slash its own educational spending over the last few years.