School adds programs to meet work force needs

While the school’s policy prohibits Associate Campus Director Michael Bard from releasing local enrollment figures, he said that overall 2004 enrollment was more than 230,000, and it increased to more than 250,000 in 2005.

In 2005, the Springfield campus, which opened its doors in 2004, reported local enrollment of 400 for SBJ’s list of higher-learning institutions; the school declined to provide information for the updated list in this issue.

New program additions are behind part of the school’s growth. Locally, University of Phoenix began offering a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice administration. The degree prepares students for work in law enforcement, social services, court systems and private security companies.

“There’s a need for this program in the community,” said Bard, a University of Phoenix graduate who began working for the school in 2002. “We have many agencies locally, and we want their employees to have educational opportunities.”

Also new to the roster at University of Phoenix is its Bachelor of Science in Health Administration, which prepares students for health-care management, with a focus on law and ethics.

“We’re still working on it and are just now preparing to get the first group going,” Bard said, noting that he expects health administration classes to start in April.

“After a little market research, we decided that the degree fit well with the large health-services industry in Springfield,” Bard added. “We had a lot of requests for the program and wanted to respond. The state had already approved the program for our Kansas City campus, and we simply applied for and received approval to open it here.”

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the education and health services employment sector accounted for nearly 15 percent of area jobs in 2005.

“We’ve found that companies are placing more emphasis on education when looking for employees to fill health administration jobs,” Bard said. “By exposing students to real-world applications and the latest technology, we feel this program will prepare people for the challenges that top health care professionals face on a daily basis.”

Working adult students

University of Phoenix students primarily are working adults, most of whom need to work full-time while they’re earning their degrees.

Technology used by University of Phoenix enables the school to reach the working-adult student population, as the school has several undergraduate degree programs available for online study.

The Springfield campus has 75 faculty members who hold doctoral degrees and work in their field, Bard said.

There is no entrance exam for admission to undergraduate programs, but a high school diploma or equivalent is required. Graduate requirements vary by program, but a minimum of three years of relevant work experience and a bachelor’s degree with 2.5 GPA or higher are necessary.

University of Phoenix offers monthly enrollment rather than traditional semesters, but for financial aid purposes, programs are agured as academic years, with students completing about 24 credits per year on average.

Tuition rates at the University of Phoenix for undergraduate courses are $315 per credit hour and $378 per credit hour for graduate-level courses.