Ashworth College is a private for-profit online college based in

Peachtree Corners, Georgia Peachtree Corners is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and is the largest city in Gwinnett County with a population of 42,243 as of the 2020 US Census. Peachtree Corners is the only ...

. It operates subsidiary schools Madison School of Healthcare, PCDI Canada, and James Madison High School.

History

Since its founding in 1987, Professional Career Development Institute (PCDI) has developed a large selection of distance-learning programs for its high school, career, and degree programs. James Madison High School (JMHS) was established in 1996 to aid students who need an alternative approach to a high school education. JMHS provides the curriculum needed for students to complete one to four years of

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

coursework that will lead to a high school diploma. In 2000, PCDI established Ashworth College to offer associate degree programs to students who need an alternative approach to a college education. Ashworth College started offering master’s degree programs in 2004 and

bachelor’s degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...

programs in 2007. In 2007, all schools under PCDI merged under the Ashworth College umbrella. In May 2015, the Federal Trade Commission and Ashworth College entered a settlement in which the college agreed to alter its advertising claims. The commission had charged in its complaint that the college had deceptively marketed its online college degree and career-training programs. It stated that some Ashworth programs failed to meet the basic educational requirements set by state licensing boards for careers or jobs such as real estate appraisers, home inspectors, elementary school educators, and massage practitioners. The commission also claimed that the college's credits were represented as fully transferable, although it lacked supporting data that other colleges and universities would accept their credits. As of 2021, the college is no longer accepting new students for its graduate programs.

Academics

Ashworth offers programs for

career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defi ...

certificates,

diplomas,

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

certificates,

associate degrees An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...

bachelor's degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

, graduate certificates, and

master's degrees A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

Accreditation and licensing

Ashworth College is accredited by the

Distance Education Accrediting Commission The Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), formerly the National Home Study Council and then as the Distance Education and Training Council, is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in t ...

. The associate degree in veterinary technician program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). Ashworth College is also authorized by the

Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission Education in Georgia consists of public and private schools in Georgia (U.S. state), including the University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia, private colleges, and secondary and primary schools. Governance structure Th ...

to offer instruction in career programs, undergraduate certificates, associate degree,

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

, and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

programs. James Madison High School is regionally accredited by the

Cognia Cognia Cloud was a cloud-based compliance archiving and analytics company. It was established in 2007 to provide recording and regulatory solutions to financial institutions, telecommunications providers and field services enterprises. It was ...

Ashworth Community

The Ashworth College Community gives students the opportunity to participate in online study groups, clubs, and organizations and receive tutorial assistance, career advice, and student support. The Ashworth College student body includes students from all 50 states and many countries.

Admissions and financial aid

To be accepted to Ashworth College, students must be at least 16 years old or have an enrollment form filled out by a parent or guardian. College degrees require a high school diploma or a GED to enroll. Ashworth College does not accept or offer federal or financial aid or provide student loans, claiming that this is due to its mission to make tuition affordable to all.

References

External links

* {{authority control Private universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state) Distance education institutions based in the United States Distance Education Accreditation Commission For-profit universities and colleges in the United States Educational institutions established in 1987 1987 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)