COD/Benedictine U. offer three new 3+1 programs

College of DuPage and Benedictine University signed three 3+1 agreements Thursday, Dec. 8, that enable Accounting, Management and Marketing students to earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Management from Benedictine University at the College's Glen Ellyn campus.

“We are very pleased to offer our students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management from Benedictine University's esteemed College of Business and the Moser College of Adult & Professional Studies,” said College of DuPage President Robert L. Breuder. “We will continue to aggressively pursue this trend in higher education. These partnerships are extremely beneficial for students in terms of accessibility, affordability and convenience.”

Benedictine President William J. Carroll noted, “Through the years, College of DuPage and Benedictine University have enjoyed a solid and productive partnership. The development of the 3+1 programs is a wonderful and exciting evolution of that relationship. We celebrate our partnership and look forward to even more exciting examples of how we can work together to make higher education in DuPage County the best in the land.”

During the first three years of the 124 credit-hour Accounting program, students complete 85 credit hours of College of DuPage courses. The final 39 credit hours of Benedictine coursework are taught in an accelerated format by BenU professors at COD.

Students enrolled in the 129 credit-hour Management or Marketing programs complete 90 credit hours of College of DuPage coursework and an additional 39 credit hours of Benedictine courses taught in an accelerated format by Benedictine professors at COD.

Students pay COD tuition rates for the first 85 credit hours (Accounting) or 90 credit hours (Management/Marketing) of COD coursework, with the final 39 credit hours of Benedictine courses offered at a significantly reduced tuition rate. BenU also provides admissions, advising and financial aid services at COD to enable students to have a seamless transition.

As part of this special agreement, students must be at least 21 years old to enroll in the

39 credit hours offered by Benedictine University in the accelerated and blended delivery formats. In addition, to participate in this new 3+1 program, students must first complete an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree at College of DuPage.

“This is a major breakthrough for students with an A.A.S. degree who are interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree in management,” said COD Executive Vice President Joe Collins. “Only a handful of such programs are available nationally, and we are very pleased to work with Benedictine University to make this happen for our students.”

College of DuPage currently offers an accelerated A.A.S. degree in Management through its Adult Fast Track program for adult students age 21 and older. Any COD student who is 21 years of age or older also can complete a variety of core general education and/or elective courses which satisfy the requirements of other degree and certificate programs.

For more information, contact the College of DuPage Office of Admissions and Outreach at (630) 942-2380 or the Counseling and Advising Center at (630) 942-2482, or contact the Benedictine University Enrollment Center at (630) 829-6300 or admissions@ben.edu.