Hannibal-LaGrange University plans to offer its "ADVANCE Adult Degree Completion Program" in Jefferson City, starting this fall.
School officials will hold an informational meeting about the program at 6 p.m. May 16 on the first floor of the Missouri Baptist Building, 400 E. High St.
When classes begin, they will be held in dedicated classroom space on the Baptist Building's sixth floor.
The school said it will be offering a bachelor of science degree and a bachelor of applied science degree in business management, criminal justice and Christian ministry.
Lincoln University, Columbia College and William Woods University all offer degree programs in criminal justice and in business.
In a follow-up email, Rebecca Sneed, a Hannibal-LaGrange public relations and institutional advancement assistant, told the News Tribune: "The program, short time to complete the degree, and majors we offer are unique from other schools in the area.
"Specifically, we offer a degree completion program for adults. Those with an associate's degree or its equivalent can earn their bachelor's degree in 20-21 months by attending class one night a week, one class at a time, for a five-week period."
Sneed said HLGU has notified the state's Coordinating Board for Higher Education of its Jefferson City plans, but the private school is not required to have CBHE approval.
"Our ADVANCE Program has been offered at our Hannibal campus for over 22 years, and at our other two satellite campuses in Sikeston and Poplar Bluff for over 14 years," Marc Hurt, the ADVANCE Program's director, said in the news release.
"What makes our program so attractive is the competitive pricing" and the shorter-than-usual time to finish work on a degree.
Another factor, the news release said, is program students stay with the same group of adult learners throughout their degree program.
HLGU is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Missouri Baptist Convention and promotes itself as a four-year Christian university that takes pride "in its traditional and nontraditional educational experience in a distinctively Christian environment."
The school began in 1858 in LaGrange, a Mississippi River town about 5 miles south of Canton and 8 miles north of Quincy, Illinois. The campus moved to Hannibal in 1928.
Prospective students are asked to bring a copy of their transcripts - and, if applicable, Corrections department and Police Academy documents - to the informational meeting.
"Having these documents with them at the informational meeting will allow us to give them a written degree completion plan," Hurt said. "This plan will identify all transfer credit hours and advise on a path to degree completion."
More information about the program can be found at hlg.edu/advance.
Darcia Miller, the program's associate director, can be reached at 573-629-3186 or [email protected].
Darla Power, the office manager, is at 573-629-3185 or [email protected].