I've learned a great deal ...

For as long as Daphne Phillips can remember, she wanted a doctoral degree. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Speech Pathology she was anxious to begin her professional career and spend quality time with her new husband. She postponed her doctorate and before she knew it ten years had passed; she had two children and was interested in other career options.

At that point in her life, there was no way she could afford the time commitment or costs of full time study at a traditional university. After researching various options, she feels fortunate to have found NCU.

"I took one course at time," says the freshly-minted Dr. Phillips. "That worked best for me in terms of juggling class and family ... the kids, my husband, my job," adding,"I work full time."

“I chose NCU because it provided the flexibility I needed to balance career and family and it was affordable,” said Daphne. “Since I first enrolled at NCU in 2001, I’ve experienced support from my mentors, staff, and fellow Learners by communicating with them via e-mail and phone and have even met a few of them in person. I’ve learned a great deal about Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine and even more about myself.

"I have found that in order to be successful in distance learning, one must be self-motivated, determined, patient, goal-driven and most of all – eager to learn. I’ve really enjoyed my academic journey with NCU and feel it has assisted me in becoming more competitive in my career goal of teaching psychology at the college level.”

After the ceremony where she was awarded her degree — Doctor of Philosphy in Psychology with a specialization in Behavioral Medicine — Phillips summarized her NCU experience: "Fantastic. Rewarding."