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 Lincoln College has expanded their Accelerated Bridge
to Education (ABE) program for adult learners to the Lincoln campus
with Criminal Justice courses to be offered, starting in the fall.
The Accelerated Bridge to Education program is geared toward adult
learners aged 23 and older and is offered in Lincoln, Normal, Peoria
and Oglesby. At $330 per credit hour for tuition and fees, the ABE
program offers a significant savings to students.
According to information provided by Kaylee Kurtz, the admissions
counselor for the ABE Program, on August 19, Lincoln College will
begin accelerated hybrid evening courses as part of the Bachelor of
Science in Criminal Justice on the Lincoln Campus. The Criminal
Justice courses will meet one night a week in Lincoln from 5:30 to
9:30 p.m., and be partially supplemented by online learning for five
weeks. Students also have the flexibility to potentially miss one
class session without academic penalty in the course.
According to the information presented the program provides,
“students with an understanding of the American Criminal Justice
System, the institutions and personnel which comprise that system,
and theories of crime causation, offending, and rehabilitation.
Students take courses which develop their critical thinking,
quantitative reasoning, ethical decision-making, and communication
skills as related to the administration of justice.” With this
degree, students can enter careers in law enforcement, probation
offices, various correctional facilities, or community treatment and
services.
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Overall, the program requires 120 credit hours, including the
requirements for a general education at the college (which can be transferred
from other approved institutions), with a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper
division coursework. The final 30 hours will be completed on the Lincoln campus,
and students will need a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above to graduate.
In addition to the Criminal Justice program, the open house presented
information on the Business Management program, which operates in a similar
manner to the Criminal Justice program. Courses will meet one night a week, and
will be supplemented with online course work. This program is also going to be
offered in Lincoln on the main campus.
There will also be courses offered partially online for the Organizational
Leadership and Health Services Administration programs. Kurtz explained that
these programs are more hybridized, with half of the course work completed
“online via webcam.” These courses are asynchronous, meaning the students have
more flexibility in when they complete the material or review lesson plans in
the form of recorded video.
Upon completion of each five-week session, students earn a full three credit
hours toward their degrees. Classes for the ABE program are offered year-round,
not just during the traditional school year. Through nine sessions of five weeks
in a 12-month period, a student can earn 27 credits in a year by taking one
course at a time.
Kurtz added that anyone interested in the program who could not make it to the
open house is free to contact her with questions. She can be reached by phone at
309-268-4322 or by email at
kkurtz@lincolncollege.edu.
[Derek Hurley] |
