Education

Traditional and Non-traditional Students Earn Degrees Close to Home

National College of Business and Technology began offering classes on its Bartlett campus in June 2007.

Whether looking to pursue a graduate or professional degree‚ a bachelor’s or train for a new career in a short time while continuing to work‚ Bartlett citizens can achieve their goals close to home.

Loyd Williford‚ director of the Bartlett campus of National College of Business and Technology‚ sees these opportunities as vital to the continued economic development of the city.

“The leadership of Bartlett is progressive‚ pushing for industrial growth‚ increasing the need for a skilled workforce‚” Williford says. This need made Bartlett an attractive location for the new campus‚ which opened for classes June 25‚ 2007.

“National College focuses on teaching students job market-relevant skills in a short time frame‚” Williford says. “The majority of our students work full time and need to concentrate on the essential courses.”

Students can complete an associate degree in 18 months or a diploma program in nine-and-a-half months.

Another option for working adult students is the University of Phoenix Campus in Cordova. The University of Phoenix has programs for people who want to begin their college education and for those who want to finish a degree they’ve already begun.

Public institutions in the area include Southwest Tennessee Community College‚ with multiple locations throughout Shelby and Fayette counties‚ and the University of Memphis‚ a traditional university offering bachelor’s‚ doctorate and professional degrees in a variety of fields. For aspiring doctors‚ dentists and other health professionals‚ The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is located in downtown Memphis.

Private institutions include Union University and Christian Brothers University. Union University’s main campus is in Jackson‚ convenient for the traditional student who wants to have the experience of living on campus but doesn’t want to be too far from home.

For adult learners with responsibilities in Bartlett‚ Union University has a Germantown location. Jimmy Davis‚ vice president of Union in Germantown‚ says the campus opened almost 10 years ago partially to address the continuing problem of a nursing shortage throughout Tennessee.

“We offer the largest RN-to-BSN completion program in the state for working nurses‚” he says.

The Germantown campus also offers a bachelor’s in organizational leadership. “This is a program for adults who have dreamed of finishing their college degrees. Students can get credit for classes they’ve taken in the past as well as relevant work experience‚” Davis says. Additional business‚ education and Christian studies degrees also are available.

Christian Brothers University in Memphis is a Catholic university that accepts members of all faiths. Followers of priest and educational innovator St. John Baptist de La Salle started CBU. Only seven Lasallian colleges and universities exist in the United States.

Story by Denise Mitchell
Photo by Woodie S. Knight

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