Northeastern University may soon be the newest name in higher education in Seattle.

The Boston-based school announced Monday that it plans to open a Seattle campus next year, providing graduate and professional degree programs using online and classroom learning.

The school opened its first regional campus in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday and wants to take a similar approach in other cities.

The university plans to tailor its courses to each region. In Seattle, it sees a strong need for graduate and professional programs catering to working professionals in a variety of fields including science, technology and health.

Sean Gallagher, Northeastern's senior strategist and market development officer, said the school initially would like to attract a few hundred students to its Seattle campus, with plans to expand enrollment to more than 1,000. The university says it's too early to say how much money it might invest in Seattle.

The university has more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students and focuses on experiential learning. A focus on working professionals is one of the institution's specialties, Gallagher said. The university has an extensive internship program that allows undergraduates to work full time for up to 18 months while in school.

Northeastern said that while the regional campuses will not offer undergraduate courses, it expects the new locations will help expand these internship opportunities by increasing partnerships with employers.

Course offerings in Seattle have yet to be finalized, but master's degrees in information assurance, health informatics and computer science are now part of the plan, Gallagher said.

When Northeastern surveyed Seattle, Gallagher said, it found unfilled positions in computer science and information technology.

"The employer community can't find the talented workforce based on the number of graduates coming out of the existing institutions," Gallagher said. He also listed biotechnology and global health as expanding fields in Seattle.

Alternative education models, such as Northeastern's plan, reflect a need in the state, said UW spokesman Norm Arkans.

"There's no question that Washington has a lower percentage of its population enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate-degree programs than most other states, and that's something we'd like to see improved, but in the current climate it's hard to imagine how we'll get there," Arkans said.

In its survey of Seattle, Gallagher said, Northeastern targeted the area's employers, civic and community leaders to help identify fields needing more professionals with degrees.

"What you'll see in our plans is we're really looking to complement what's in the region already rather than offer things that overlap with ... other institutions in the area," Gallagher said.

It's not clear how Northeastern's curriculum would mesh with the UW or other area colleges.

"I would be surprised if there was a significant unmet need in [computer science] at this point, but certainly other institutions need to find for themselves if need exists for their specific programs," said Dave Szatmary, vice provost of educational outreach at the UW.

Szatmary said the UW offers night courses in computer science for a variety of professionals.

Before it can set down roots, Northeastern said it has to find the right real estate, receive authorization from Washington's Higher Education Coordinating Board and finalize its degree offerings.

Northeastern, which has varying graduate-level tuition, said the cost of a degree program ranges from about $20,000 to $35,000.

"I really believe that in great cities there's room for a number of great universities," Gallagher said.

Alexis Krell: 206-464-3263 or akrell@seattletimes.com