The Degree Completion Concept
The
degree completion programs are experience-based degrees for working adults,
offering majors in five different areas: Organizational
Leadership (including online), Management Information
Systems or Computer Information Systems, Christian Leadership,
Human Development (teacher preparation), and Nursing
(RN to BSN). The programs center around an experiential learning concept
– a unique alternative to the traditional approach. Experiential learning
links curricula to past, present, or planned career activities. Through this
method, students can earn up to 30 semester hours of credit
for significant life experience by means of a formalized petition process called
the portfolio.
Designed specifically for the adult learner, these programs offer flexible class scheduling, convenient locations, accelerated curricula, and a simplified registration process. Perhaps the programs' most distinctive element is "reality-based learning," the process of integrating textbook theory with the student's work and life experiences. Students learn how to evaluate and enhance their lives personally and professionally.
Degree completion program courses are taught sequentially, and the rich diversity of experiences which students bring to the class results in lively discussions involving shared experiences. Because students stay with the same group (cohort) throughout the course of study, they develop a strong rapport with other group members who act as a support system through the completion of the degree.
