MANCHESTER, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mount Washington College, a part of Kaplan Higher Education Group, today announced that it has begun accepting applications for its new national online associate and bachelor’s degree program in Information Technology (IT). Available through the College’s performance-driven online learning platform, the program is designed with career-focused, self-motivated adult learners in mind.
Mount Washington College is accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
With a tuition structure starting as low as $4,800 per academic year ($2,400 per term), students can complete an IT bachelor’s degree for less than $20,000, making it among the most affordable regionally accredited programs in the United States. Mount Washington College also offers business degree programs within the same highly affordable tuition structure.
Designed to be affordable, flexible and convenient for adult learners, classes will begin on January 6, 2014. The curriculum focuses on providing the necessary competencies demanded by the IT industry to meet today’s challenges, with courses including cloud computing, security, forensics, and the ethical, legal and social issues in IT administration.
The program also integrates gamification elements, including motivational and academic badges which are displayed on each student’s profile and recognize behavioral characteristics, such as high levels of peer-to-peer engagement, and the mastery of competencies. Academic badges are aligned with industry certifications. When earned, they indicate that students have the content knowledge and competency mastery for the corresponding certification exams such as CompTIA Security +, Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases, and CIW Web Design Professional.
“While the information technology sector continues to grow, employers also report difficulty filling positions with highly skilled, qualified candidates,” said Dr. Andrew Temte, CFA, interim president of Mount Washington College. “Our new IT program was developed to help bridge this skills gap, providing motivated adult learners increased access to quality training at a very competitive price point to meet the future demands and requirements that will be placed on IT professionals.”
According to CompTIA, a non-profit trade association representing the IT industry, more than nine-in-ten (93%) of U.S. IT and business executives report that there is a vast difference between existing and desired skills among their IT staffs.
Consistent with Mount Washington College’s instructional philosophy, the IT degree program allows students to pace themselves, managing the intensity of work and completion of their degree based on their individual timetable. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of adult learners who are often balancing a full-time job and raising a family with other scheduling demands and life commitments. Student Mentors are there to help right from the start, serving as a resource to students from the time of admission through graduation.
To apply to the Information Technology program at Mount Washington College, prospective students will be required to have qualifying standardized test scores, previous college credit, or pass the customized entrance self-assessment that measures five separate online learning readiness categories. More information can be found at www.MountWashington.edu.
About Mount Washington College
Re-imagining online higher education for career-focused, self-motivated students of all ages, Mount Washington College offers a performance-driven online learning platform that is more affordable, flexible, measurable and in sync with today’s workforce demands. Formerly Hesser College (founded in 1900), Mount Washington College also serves students through its main ground campus in Manchester, NH and at several satellite campuses across southern New Hampshire.
Mount Washington College is part of the Kaplan Higher Education Group. Kaplan Higher Education Group is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Kaplan Higher Education serves approximately 67,000 students online and through approximately 70 campus-based schools across the United States. Kaplan’s higher education institutions offer a broad spectrum of academic programs and award associate, bachelor and master degrees in addition to professional certificates and diplomas. Its law school offers a juris doctor degree.
