About the Coeur d'Alene Center
The University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene shapes the future of North Idaho by bringing university resources into our local communities. The center engages university expertise to transform education, develop innovative research and cultivate a knowledge-based economy.
Students can reach higher education excellence in Coeur d’Alene through live and online undergraduate and graduate programs. Six U of I colleges are represented with about 20 local faculty. Video conferencing allows classroom collaboration statewide. Professional development and certificate programs bring continuing education opportunities to leaders in both the public and private sector.
Building a pipeline of engaged early learners is a key tenet of the U of I Coeur d’Alene mission. More than 1,100 middle and high school students have attended a Dig’nIT STEM camp since the program’s inception in 2013. Every fall, hundreds of high school students get hands-on lab experience during the Women in Science and Engineering event. As a founding partner of community makerspace Gizmo-CDA, U of I supports innovative education through the Emerging Media Arts Lab.
U of I Coeur d’Alene elevates the region's growing tech sector with learning opportunities for all. On the North Idaho College (NIC) campus, our Computer Science and Cybersecurity degree programs are supported by four U of I faculty and lab facilities. The center piloted Co-op Education in 2018, allowing students to spend six to 12 months during their junior and senior years working full time for near-market pay in the regional tech industry.
Surrounded by lakes, rivers and mountains, U of I Coeur d’Alene is uniquely positioned to build programming connected to the rich natural environment. Through the Confluence Project, the U of I Community Water Resource Center (CWRC) and regional partners give hundreds of high school students hands-on water science experience from the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene to the slopes of Lookout Pass. CWRC also provides lake ambassador training through Bay Watchers, leads community conversations with Our Gem and educates construction workers on stormwater and erosion control.
U of I Coeur d’Alene strategically plans for the future of the Lake City as an active participant with the North Idaho Higher Education consortium, CDA 2030, chambers of commerce and economic development corporations. The DeArmond Higher Education Center at NIC brings student services from five higher education institutions under one roof. In Post Falls, the Jacklin Science and Technology Center supports startup companies and U of I research projects.
Through its degree programs, technology and research centers, and collaborative philosophy, U of I Coeur d’Alene provides outreach and opportunity for all people of North Idaho.
History of U of I Coeur d'Alene
- 1985: The university begins an academic partnership with North Idaho College including a presence in the NIC Administrative Building.
- 1989: U of I provides funding to expand Molstead Library, add six classrooms and increase administrative space for university programs.
- 2001: The city of Coeur d’Alene and U of I enter into an agreement allowing the university to expand its North Idaho presence through a new regional base at the Harbor Center.
- 2002: A gift of 28-acres from the Jacklin Land Development Company paves the way for the new U of I Research Park in Post Falls.
- 2017: U of I Engineering begins a collaborative computer science degree program with NIC and establishes a robotics lab in Coeur d’Alene.
- 2019: The new DeArmond student services center opens at NIC as a collaborative effort among U of I, NIC, Lewis-Clark State College, Idaho State University and Boise State University.