American Sentinel University (ASU) is an online institution of higher education. ASU was established as a result of the merger of three parent institutions. The oldest institution, which was known as the American College of Computers and Information Services, began in 1988, and the American Graduate School of Management started in 2000. These two merged with Sentinel University in 2006 to make one of the most affordable and comparable schools on the internet today, American Sentinel University.
ASU is accredited for its nursing degree program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) which is a branch of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). ASU’s other degree programs are qualified by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a member of the Council for Higher Education.
ASU has two headquarters located in Alabama and Colorado. Each state’s college accrediting boards has allowed ASU to become a member and to distribute degrees and certifications in various fields.
American Sentinel University
Academics
ASU offers degrees and certification in health care, information technology (IT) and in business. These degrees include associate’s, bachelor’s, masters and doctoral level programs. ASU is authorized to provide certification for IT giants like Cisco and Microsoft and in Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. These qualifications, when obtained, go far in getting graduates into positions necessary in running major companies in the IT industry, in the business sectors and in the medical and health professions.
One can get an associate degree in geographic information systems (GIS) from ASU. Bachelor’s degrees are offered in many areas of education, including GIS, nursing, IT networking, security and management. B.S. degrees can be obtained in business administration, which covers the following: finance, health care and human resource management, computer science, leadership and marketing.
Students can earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, as well as a master’s degree in health care. Master of Science degrees are also given in computer science and nursing. Experienced nurses can earn a doctorate in nursing as well. Most of the above-mentioned programs allow credits to be transferred, which then affects the duration of the course work and how much will need to be spent in tuition and fees.
American Sentinel University
Admissions
All degree programs at American Sentinel University, with the exception of the nursing program, begin each month with classes lasting for 2 months. New applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. Students must submit a resume chronicling past and recent accomplishments that they have had in their education and their careers. New students must also complete an application and submit their official transcripts. Nursing students applying for a bachelor’s degree have to submit the above information along with their license to practice nursing. Foreign or international students have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or another test that establishes his or her proficiency in speaking and understanding the English language.
Financial Aid
ASU’s tuition per credit hour is quite low when compared with other online schools. Associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs are comparable to many land-based small universities while the masters and doctorate programs cost a bit more. Because everything is done online, fees cover things such as access to materials on the school’s website, testing and resources. New students are charged a one-time fee but there is no cost for applying to attend the school.
All students are encouraged to submit an application for financial aid by filling out the FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form determines eligibility and federal funding amounts for various types of loans and grants based on the applicant’s financial data. The form can be submitted online or via mail.
College students are also encouraged to apply for financial aid that is available in the state they reside in or where they attend school, institutional aid of various types, private loans from banks, and scholarships. ASU partners with industry leaders to market its students and to provide job placement. Various options are open to active military personnel, veterans, and their family members.
Some employers participate in a tuition reimbursement program in which the employer shares some of the cost of the employee’s education. In exchange, employers get the benefit of a well-trained staff to take the company to the next level in an ever-changing marketplace.
American Sentinel University
Students
American Sentinel University students represent countries from all over the world and come from many backgrounds and cultures. According to the ASU website, the university has students who represent more than 100 countries. This is possible because ASU is a virtual institution with every program except its doctoral program for nursing accomplished online. Thus, ASU pupils are able to attend class wherever there is access to the Internet. This makes for a varied student body: professionals who wish to take their careers to the next level, recent high school graduates who appreciate the convenience of an online education, and those who serve in the military, just to name a few.
Each American Sentinel University student is given the tools necessary to succeed, which includes but is not limited to a professionally-trained faculty, unlimited access to resources, and his or her own academic counselor who assists the student throughout their educational experience at ASU. An interactive, state of the art website provides the proper environment conducive to learning and excelling in the virtual classroom as well as in the world marketplace.
ASU’s faculty and staff are second-to-none in the areas they impart to the ASU students. There are over 20 teachers who offer the general education component, more than 30 highly-skilled instructors who teach business, nearly 60 instructors who train pupils in the health and human services, and more than 40 seasoned professionals who teach technology.
American Sentinel University
Additional School Information
One of the unique factors about ASU is its work with partners and affiliates in education, business, healthcare and with the military. ASU is one of the only online schools authorized by the Air Force of the United States to help train in fields necessary for pilots to advance their military careers, making ASU a great school for any service person. In fact, roughly one-fourth of the student body is made up of military personnel.
Bibliography
American Sentinel University. American Sentinel University Admissions. Web. 18 July 2011.
American Sentinel University. American Sentinel University Academics. Web. 18 July 2011.
American Sentinel University. American Sentinel University Student Experience. Web. 18 July 2011.
American Sentinel University. American Sentinel University Partnerships and Affiliations. Web. 18 July 2011.
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