Brenau University

Online College

Gainesville, Georgia

DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM

The Online College provides high-quality educational experiences through the delivery of graduate and undergraduate programs utilizing the latest distance learning technology. Programs delivered in the online format are designed for working adult students, providing maximum flexibility without compromising learning outcomes or academic rigor.

DELIVERY MEDIA

Online classes are delivered via the Internet. Common software programs are used to enhance the delivery of course materials. Dialogue among students, using an asynchronous bulletin board system, is central to the collaborative learning goal. Online students bring with them varied life and work experiences that, when shared with classmates, provide relevant applications of theory to real-world situations.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

Brenau University currently offers fully online degree programs with no residency requirements in business, conflict resolution, education, and nursing.

Brenau's RN to B.S.N. bridge program provides registered nurses the opportunity for career advancement by earning a bachelor's degree. An experienced and academically qualified faculty of registered nurses offers this 120-hour program. The clinical portion of this program may be completed in the student's local community, supervised by a Brenau nursing faculty member.

The Bachelor of Business Administration in Management is a 63-credit hour degree program designed to build on an associate's degree or a student's satisfactory completion of two years of general education course work. This undergraduate degree–completion program, which includes courses in ethics and international management, can be finished in approximately two years.

The Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration (criminal justice emphasis) is a 63-credit hour program, which offers an opportunity to students who have completed two years of general education course work. This undergraduate degree-completion program features courses in ethics, judicial process, law, management, and public administration/policy and can be finished in two years entirely online.

M.B.A. degrees in accounting, advanced management studies, health-care management, and leadership development are available in the Department of Business Administration, which has a long history of offering M.B.A. programs. Students can reach their professional goals easily with Brenau's accelerated ten-course, 30-hour M.B.A. in leadership development, the thirteen-course, 39-hour M.B.A. in advanced management studies, the eleven-course, 33-hour M.B.A. in health-care management, or the twelve course, 36-hour M.B.A. in accounting. Many states have adopted the 150-hour educational requirement to sit for the CPA exam. Brenau students meet this requirement by earning their M.B.A. degrees.

Brenau University, founded in 1878, is a historic, private, comprehensive university in Gainesville, Georgia. The University's three colleges—the coeducational Online College and Evening and Weekend College (EWC), and the Women's College—have complementary missions.

The Online College serves a population of students who are unable or unwilling to attend campus-based classes. Degree and certificate programs are offered entirely online, with a focus on collaborative learning. The EWC serves a growing population of working adult men and women by offering degree and certificate programs and other classes in five locations across the state (Atlanta, Augusta, Gainesville, Kings Bay, and Waleska). The Women's College, located on the picturesque main campus in Gainesville, has provided a single-gender liberal arts education since its founding in 1878.

Brenau University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The M.Ed. in early childhood education, a long-standing degree offering at Brenau, is also available online. This program is an eleven-course, 33- or 36-hour program, depending on the student's choice of a capstone activity (comprehensive exam or research project). The M.Ed. in middle grades education prepares professionals to teach children in grades four through eight. Students develop a variety of appropriate teaching methods and strategies that are specifically geared to the middle-grade learner. This program is also an eleven-course, 33- or 36-hour degree program, depending on the student's choice of a capstone activity (comprehensive exam or research project). Students may earn a graduate certificate in conflict resolution online. This program, composed of six sequential graduate-level courses, is an extension of Brenau's successful undergraduate degree program.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Brenau University's accelerated M.B.A. program in leadership development is designed so that students may complete it in five semesters. Classes are small and offer students asynchronous discussion and work-related collaborative projects. These activities are designed to guarantee participation in online classes.

BA 500, the Business Administration Department's intensive business foundations course that covers all undergraduate basics in the field of quantitative methods, management, accounting, and marketing, was designed for nonbusiness majors seeking to earn an M.B.A. in leadership development or health-care management. Experienced faculty members from each of these fields collaborate to teach this unique 6-semester-hour course.

STUDENT SERVICES

In addition to online application, advising, registration, and tuition payment, other student services include career services (job search and career selection), mental health counseling, and disability support services through the campus Learning Center. The Brenau Trustee Library catalog is available online using the popular Voyager software. Supplemental materials are offered via document delivery and interlibrary loan.

CREDIT OPTIONS

Brenau University may accept up to 6 semester hours of transfer credit from other regionally accredited institutions as part of a planned graduate program of study upon approval of the respective department chair.

Alternative credit options toward a Brenau University degree (credit earned from advanced placement exams, international baccalaureate programs, CLEP, military credit, experiential credit, or challenge exams) are limited to a total of 27 semester hours.

FACULTY

Classes are taught by professors trained and certified in online course delivery. Professors teaching in graduate programs have doctorates in their fields and corporate and/or practical experience.

ADMISSION

Prospective students should submit a completed application, a $30 application fee, and transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Standardized test scores (GMAT, GRE, MAT, TOEFL) must be sent from testing services for graduate program applicants.

TUITION AND FEES

Online tuition is $383 per semester credit hour ($50 technology fee per semester). Tuition rates are addressed prior to each academic year. Tuition is payable by check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover).

FINANCIAL AID

Online students who qualify are eligible for all need-based financial aid programs, including Pell Grants, other federal grants and loan programs, state-direct loans for students in nursing, and institutional grants. Program-specific funds are also available. The FAFSA financial aid application is available online.

A total of 1,603 (65 percent) of Brenau University students received some type of financial aid this past academic year. The Office of Scholarship and Financial Assistance receives student loan applications (telephone: 800-252-5119, Ext. 6152).

CONTACT

Heather S. Gibbons, Ph.D.
Director of the Online College
Brenau University
One Centennial Circle
Gainesville, Georgia 30501
Telephone: 770-718-5328
Fax: 770-718-5329
E-mail: online@lib.brenau.edu
Web site: http://online.brenau.edu

APPLYING

The completed application, a $30 application fee, and official transcripts and test scores should be sent directly to the Admissions Office, One Centennial Circle, Gainesville, Georgia 30501. Online College representatives are available by telephone at 800-252-5119 (toll-free) and e-mail at the address provided in the Contact section of this description.