Tiffin University is pioneering the way with a new online 20-month degree program that guarantees students admission to a four-year institution.
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Although students are earning two-year degrees online at other universities and colleges, many of these degrees prepare the student for a vocational track in areas such as criminal justice, paralegal studies and medical administration, among others.
“Obviously there are a lot of associate degrees that are career oriented,” says Dr. Paul Marion, president of Tiffin University. “But there are not that many associate degrees in general studies. So we did some market research and found that there are a number of people around the country who did indicate an interest of an online format for their first few years of college.”
The university’s research concluded that students who were recent high school graduates, or lived in remote locations hours away from a two- or four-year university, or had family obligations at home, would benefit from earning a degree online.
Last year, Marion and his team at Tiffin University conceptualized Ivy Bridge College with these students in mind. With a student/teacher ratio of 16 to 1, 35 students were enrolled in the first semester, last fall. Enrollment increased almost 50 percent, with a current enrollment of 59 students for the spring semester.
