Spotlight: Westwood College Spotlight: School of Professional Studies

Get a Bachelor's in Business Administration in:

• Accounting & Financial Management
• Management
• Health Care Management
• Marketing Management
• Fashion Merchandising

or get your MBA!

“ We will provide the flexibility and programs graduate students who are entering or advancing in their professions want and need. “ -- Dr. James Dorris, Dean of Graduate Programs & Professional Studies

Westwood College's School of Professional Studies is not a typical online college. It offers career-focused degree programs with remarkable flexibility. In fact, a "class schedule" is whatever a student chooses on virtually any given day.

Dr. James Dorris, dean of graduate programs and professional studies for Westwood College, says the School of Professional Studies has evolved into a resource for "relevant career education."

"Flexibility is the key to relevance," says Dorris. "We proactively adjust our short- and long-term strategies to provide the best academic and practical education to meet the needs of students."

Specializing in online degree programs for in-demand career fields, the School of Professional Studies helps ambitious adults balance their life priorities--family, personal, career, school, and financial--while fulfilling their career ambitions.

Degree Programs with the Online Advantage

Distance education is leading a revolution in higher education because few adult students can afford to put their lives on hold and disappear into a full-time college campus program.

"Our target demographic is the student who started a degree elsewhere," adds Dorris, "and, for personal or professional reasons, never completed it--but the dream is still alive."

Westwood's School of Professional Studies accommodates such students with part-time, self-paced online degree programs that offer a viable path to career advancement in high-demand career fields.

The school's current curriculum consists of an MBA program (full-time, for students who already hold a qualifying undergraduate degree), plus five part-time bachelor's programs in business administration. Current majors are:

• Accounting and Financial Management.
  Because assets, liabilities, and net worth matter, this major arms students with the financial knowledge necessary to master today's corporate accounting and financial planning practices. Possible career paths include assistant controller, accounting supervisor, and lead accountant.
• Management.
  The management major builds a solid foundation in business administration and management principles. Management students cultivate practical skills in leadership, project management, supply management, and business law that may qualify them for management positions in a wide variety of industries.

• Health Care Management.
  Demand for trained health care managers is growing as a new generation faces the challenge of providing excellent patient care while minimizing rising costs. Westwood College's health care management graduates embody skills in financial management, health care operations, regulatory compliance, risk management and health information systems. Career paths include assistant clinical manager, assistant office manager and assistant administrator.
• Marketing Management.
  Developing a great product is only half the battle; the other half is making money from it. Marketing managers identify and cultivate demand for a product, developing publicity campaigns and pricing policies that maximize the company's profit. Key competencies include critical thinking, communications skills, and campaign management to succeed in career paths such as marketing, sales, and marketing implementation management.
• Fashion Merchandising.
  A fashion merchandising career calls for the perfect blend of design and business savvy. This degree combines coursework in business, merchandising and fashion, including courses in apparel analysis, visual merchandising, retail buying, and promotion. Potential career paths include assistant fashion buyer, fashion coordinator, assistant retail manager, and product promoter.
• Master of Business Administration.
  The School of Professional Studies MBA program prepares mid-career professionals for leadership positions in six areas of specialization: e-business, global business, information technology, marketing, general management, and finance. Working professionals in each specialty deliver a wealth of personal experience and insights to give graduates real-world perspectives, rather than just textbook theories. The program culminates in an independent capstone project that allows students to apply the tools they acquire to a real-world business problem.

Why Choose Westwood College's School of Professional Studies?

The only difference between earning your degree online with The School of Professional Studies versus a traditional classroom setting is the quality of your life. Flexible scheduling makes your dreams more accessible by helping you to balance your priorities. It's why there's never been a better time--or an easier way--to take your career and your future to a higher level.

But aside from remarkable personal convenience, the School of Professional Studies is also distinguished with these benefits:

• Top-Rated Online College.
  The School of Professional Studies operates under Westwood College--Online Campus, ranked nationally as a Top 20 Online College.*
• Affordability.
  Westwood's School of Professional Studies delivers premier quality for a remarkable price.
• Outstanding Faculty.
  More than 250 strong and all working professionals, instructors deliver a wealth of professional experience and insights.
• Student Financing Made Easy.
  The new Westwood College Student Financing Portal simplifies and expedites the student financing process, making your dreams more attainable than ever.
• Career-Focused Content.
  A career-focused approach to education often provides career benefits even before you graduate.
• Outstanding Online Technologies.
  The School of Professional Studies employs industry-standard online technologies to ensure a richer learning experience.
• Accredited Degree Programs.†

Achieve Your Educational Goals Now--On Your Terms!

Whatever was holding you back doesn't matter anymore. The School of Professional Studies was built for people like you. If you're ready to move forward in your career, the School of Professional Studies can help you lay the foundation now for a brighter future.

*Online Education Database (OEDb) Online College Rankings 2009 (http://oedb.org/rankings)

†Westwood is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (accsct.org) and the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (acics.org), both of which are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Westwood is also licensed in each state in which it operates. In addition to national accreditation, in October 2007, Westwood College became a candidate with the Higher Learning Commission and an affiliate of the North Central Association.