CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

CMU Off-Campus Programs
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Since its founding in 1892, Central Michigan University (CMU) has grown from a small teachers' college into a world-class Midwestern university offering more than 150 programs at the bachelor's level and nearly sixty programs at the master's, specialist's, and doctoral level. CMU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This accreditation includes all on- and off-campus programs. Central Michigan University is an institutional member of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning; the Adult Education Association; the Alliance: An Association of Alternative Degree Programs for Adults; and the National Association of Institutions in Military Education.

Distance Learning Program

Programs are offered in a compressed format to help balance the demands of work, school, family, and other obligations. The compressed format does not mean easier courses. Distance learning courses are held to the same academic standards that on-campus courses must meet. To help insure success in the compressed format, procedures and support services are fast and accessible.

Delivery Media

Students have a choice of delivery formats: online, print-based learning packages, or classroom-based courses at more than sixty locations in North America.

Online courses use Web technology to involve the student in interactive learning. Students can interact with instructors and others through e-mail, chat sessions, and message forums. Student lecture materials and assignments are all online. Textbooks are still required.

Learning packages are print-based courses that use textbooks and study guides but may also include audio and videocassettes as well as the use of e-mail and Internet chat rooms to enrich the content.

Classes are also available in evening or weekend formats at locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. An up-to-date listing of locations is available at http://www.celmcmich.edu.

Programs of Study

CMU Off-Campus Programs offers undergraduate-, graduate-, and doctoral-level degree programs. Undergraduate program offerings are available at centers in Michigan and online through CMU's distance learning program. All bachelor's degrees are based on 124 semester hours of credit.

The Bachelor of Science degree with a major in administration is for students wishing to pursue an administrative career. The core courses provide a foundation in the concepts and applications critical to becoming a successful, effective administrator. Graduates of this program are prepared for careers as production supervisors, human resource administrators, and small business administrators. General education and elective courses allow students to acquire basic skills and learn to communicate with people in other disciplines and jobs and they provide an emphasis in liberal arts and natural or social sciences. A sampling of courses within the organizational administration concentration includes managerial economics, human resource management, and organizational behavior among other business topics.

The Bachelor of Science degree with an option in community development prepares students for work in the public sector or human services area. Graduates go on to careers in political office, the public health professions, directing community education, and more. Courses focus on the general theory and practice of community along with interaction of community institutions in a community setting. The community services concentration prepares students for employment at community agencies, for providing community services, and for work in non-profit organizations; many of the courses are focused in sociology. The public administration concentration is for those wishing to work in local, state, or federal government positions; many of the courses are centered on political science.

The Master of Science in Administration (M.S.A.) degree is a 36-semester-hour program that approaches administration and management from a broader perspective than other graduate degrees. This interdisciplinary program was developed to meet the needs of administrators in both the public and nonprofit sectors. M.S.A. concentrations are available at locations throughout North America, with two concentrations (general administration and information resource management) available completely online. Within the M.S.A. curriculum are core courses (about half of the degree) and concentration courses (the remaining half). The core courses provide students with quantitative analysis while the concentration courses allow them to tailor the program to their individual areas of interest. Among the concentrations offered, the general administration concentration gives an excellent foundation in management principals and is applicable to a wide variety of administrative settings. The health services concentration equips students to proactively meet the challenges faced in a health-care facility or in hospital administration. The concentration in human resource administration helps students develop their human resource management skills, focusing on the areas of labor relations, staffing, training, and organizational development. An information resource management concentration enables students to develop a comprehensive approach to the management of information systems in an organization to ensure that the chosen technology solution is the most appropriate one. The leadership concentration enhances abilities to think creatively, manage knowledge effectively, develop a vision, establish direction, and motivate staff. The public administration concentration prepares students for careers in public administration. Students get in-depth information on public policy-making and regulatory, budgetary, and personnel issues. Many of the courses are centered in political science.

The M.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics (M.S.N.D.) degree is designed to provide advanced training in human nutritional sciences for new and experienced professionals. Its objective is to enhance the graduate's knowledge base and expertise in the continually advancing field of nutrition and clinical dietetics. In addition, the program is designed to provide graduates with the quantitative and methodological knowledge necessary to better interpret the scientific literature to conduct their own nutritional research. This program is available completely online.

CMU's long-standing tradition of teacher excellence continues with its Master of Arts in Education degree (M.A.Ed.). This program is designed to provide knowledge and skills for individuals required to function effectively in various positions of educational leadership. The M.A.Ed. is a continuing education program for teachers; it presumes the individual is already trained and qualified in the technical aspects of her or his field. Concentrations available within the program are adult education (teaching in an adult education environment), community college (currently only available in Canada, this concentration is for effective teaching in a community college environment), and instructional (for K–12 curriculum and instruction), The M.A.Ed. degree is offered at select locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Special Programs

The Doctor of Health Administration (D.H.A.) is a 63-credit program that is cutting edge, academically sound, practice based, and flexible. Designed for leaders in the health-care field, the online format, combined with six weekend seminars, provides the ultimate combination of academic rigor and practical convenience.

Student Services

All services are available online and/or by a toll-free phone call. The service ranked highest by CMU's current students and graduates is the nationally recognized Off-Campus Library Services. Document delivery provides students with books, copies of journal articles, and other materials free of charge.

Credit Options

Credits earned through distance learning are recorded on Central Michigan University's transcripts in the same manner as credits earned in on-campus courses. These courses are part of the regular offerings of Central Michigan University. Relevant transfer credit and prior learning credits are also options.

Faculty

Faculty members are selected from the main campus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan; from other universities; and from the executive ranks of government, business, and industry. They enjoy the challenge of working with adult students and respect the knowledge and skills the students bring to the classroom. Approval of all faculty members is done by department chairpersons on the basis of their academic and professional qualifications.

Admission

Students must be admitted to CMU in order to take distance learning courses. The minimum requirement for admission to CMU undergraduate programs is a high school diploma or GED certificate. Undergraduate applicants must posses a GPA of 2.0 or higher. For those with GPAs lower than the required 2.0, conditional admission may be granted. One official transcript from all previously attended institutions should be provided to CMU.

Graduate applicants must have a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from an institution that has received regional accreditation or recognized standing at the time the student attended. Graduate applicants must have an overall grade point average of at least 2.7 in their bachelor's studies. Applicants whose GPA is between 2.3 and 2.7 may be considered for conditional admission. GMAT or GRE scores are not required.

D.H.A. applicants must have a master's degree of at least 27 semester hours or have earned a professional doctorate (such as M.D., D.O., J.D., or Pharm.D.) from a U.S. regionally accredited university.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the 2006–07 academic year is as follows: undergraduate, $286 per credit hour; graduate, $373 per credit hour; and D.H.A., $795 per credit hour. Military personnel (active duty and retired) and their dependents are eligible for a discounted tuition rate at both the undergraduate and graduate levels of $250/credit hour. This rate does not apply at the doctoral level. Proper identification is required to receive this lower discounted rate.

Additional fees include a $50 admission fee, $50 graduation fee, $100 prior learning application fee, and a $50 prior learning assessment fee (per credit hour).

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to those students who qualify. Students interested in financial aid are encouraged to contact CMU for more information.

Applying

Students interested in taking classes through CMU Off-Campus Programs are encouraged to apply for admission to Central Michigan University. Admission applications can be downloaded from the Web site listed in the Contact section.

CONTACT

CMU Off-Campus Programs
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859
Phone: 877-268-4636 (toll-free)
Fax: 989-774-1822
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.cmuoffcampus.com