South University Online

South University Online Highlights

• Online extension of South University, a career-oriented school founded in 1899
• Same degrees and instruction as onsite campuses
• Accelerated 5.5 week classes enables faster degree completion
• Small online class sizes targeted at 15 students
• Accredited by the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

About South University Online

South University has been offering career-oriented education programs since 1899. The university has several campuses, with the online school being headquartered in South University's Savannah, Georgia campus. The university's online school is targeted for adult students and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Students can choose from curriculums in the fields of business, nursing, healthcare, criminal justice, accounting, and information technology. The school notes that it regularly assesses its courses to help ensure that their contents are current with industry needs.

South University Academic Programs

The university offers a variety of programs from its colleges. The following is a brief review of each college with online programs:

• College of Health Professions – The school's online health sciences programs offer a thorough understanding of the administrative, clinical, technical and ethical aspects of the healthcare profession. The classes combine theory and industry related technical information. Graduates are prepared for employment in hospitals, community clinics, doctor offices, research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions.
• College of Nursing – The online nursing programs are targeted at nurses that already have an RN and are seeking a bachelor's or master's nursing degree. Studies include training in the technical, clinical, administrative and ethical aspects of nursing. The program blends theory and technical information. Programs are aimed at readying students for advancing their careers in senior roles within hospitals, private practices, nursing facilities, clinics, research, pharmaceutical companies, and academics.
• College of Arts and Sciences – Offers career-focused programs in several subjects including criminal justice, legal studies, and paralegal studies. The undergraduate degree programs are structured to teach a solid foundation in general education including, physical sciences, mathematics, social sciences and language arts.
• College of Business – The programs in accounting, healthcare administration/management, business administration and information technology are designed to meet the demands of employers. The programs also include general education courses.

Learning at South University

South University's online teaching approach combines the school's decades of education experience with an online teaching approach developed by Socrates Distance Learning Technologies Group® (Socrates). Via Socrates each instructor goes through approximately 100 hours of training in online instruction. Only Socrates qualified instructors teach online at South University.

Several aspects of South University's online instructional methodologies include:

• Courses are asynchronous, allowing students to interact with teachers and each other and to complete work at anytime of day or night every day of the week.
• Instructor lectures are for supplementing assigned readings, not for repeating them.
• Discussions are structured to be open ended rather than to have predefined answers.
• Curriculums are built to start from a basic level of subject matter and build up to advanced levels.
• Textbook readings are directly applicable to course content and assignments.

Faculty

The qualified instructors offer a blend of theory and practical learning. The teachers also offer individualized attention.

Student Life

South University kicks off new students' studies with a new-student orientation. New students are assigned an academic advisor that helps plan their studies.

Students have a single point of contact for questions through South University's Student Support Center. The Center is available to address questions and issues related to academics, registration, financial aid, and student accounting.

An online student community, named The Campus Common, provides a number of resources, including:

• Student discussion forum
• Professional networking with industry contacts and organizations
• Twenty-four hour technical support
• Student discussion forum
• Online library
• Online tutors
• Online store for school supplies

Admissions and Financial Aid

Requirements for admission vary by program. An admission representative assists applicants with the enrolling procedure.

Financial aid representatives work with students to create a payment strategy and offer financial aid options. Qualified students have access to federal, state, and various types of scholarships, grants and loans.