Accelerated Adult Programs

The accelerated course format stresses self-directed learning, reducing reliance on the traditional lecture format, and increasing students’ involvement in the learning process both in and out of the classroom.  Individuals meeting the federal definition of an independent student are eligible to apply for admission. Bachelor of Science degrees include, but are not limited to: Community & NonProfit Leadership (CNPL), Public Health Education & Promotion (PHEP), Organizational Leadership (ORGL), and Business Administration (BADA). A Bachelor of Liberal Studies (LBST) degree is offered as well.. Courses necessary to complete an undergraduate minor in Community & Nonprofit Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Leadership and Business Foundations are also offered in the accelerated format.

Community & Nonprofit Leadership, provided through the Department of Sociology in the Shaheen College of Arts and Sciences, prepares individuals through an interdisciplinary curriculum that features content from such diverse areas as sociology, social work, and community leadership and engagement. An experiential focus means local neighborhoods and organizations are learning laboratories. Students pursuing this degree will explore the experiences of diverse groups of residents, learn fundraising and grant writing skills, apply their knowledge through community service learning, and engage with experts from nonprofit organizations.

Public Health Education & Promotion, provided through the College of Health Sciences, is divided into a core set of courses for all program majors, then divided into major concentrations, from which students will select one specialty. Students graduating from the PHEP program will be qualified to sit for certification as a Health Education Specialist (CHES), a desired credential in the public health education field. This exam measures proficiency in the seven responsibility areas of an entry-level health educator. Certified Health Education Specialists are professionals who design, conduct, and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all people. These activities can take place in a variety of settings: schools, communities, health care facilities, businesses, and colleges. Health educators are employed under a range of job titles such as patient educators, health program coordinators, trainers, community organizers, and health program managers. The Certified Health Education Specialists are those who have met the standards of quality established by NCHEC by successfully passing the CHES examination. The CHES designation after a health educator’s name is one indication of professional competency.

Liberal Studies, provided through the Shaheen College of Arts and Sciences, provides a degree program for individuals who wish an education with a broad, interdisciplinary perspective.  This program combines a core of courses emphasizing critical thinking, historical consciousness, arts appreciation, social inquiry, and global awareness, with a block of elective hours that may be used for further interdisciplinary study or to pursue a major or minor in a specific discipline.

Organizational Leadership, provided through the School of Business, provides learners the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to be effective leaders. Leadership skills empower learners, provide opportunities to enhance their daily living, increase their mobility within current employment settings, and develop their potential for employment in different work environments and recognize the importance of leadership in the organization and the fact that followers prosper under effective leaders in all situations. We believe in a holistic, ethical approach to leadership that encourages collaboration, trust, listening, and empowerment.

Business Administration, provided through the School of Business, provides a student-centered experience for adult learners that offers a course of study tailored to adult individual needs, and is focused on the enhancement of professional careers in business.

Aging Studies is provided through the College of Health Sciences. A background in aging studies will give job seekers an advantage in many settings. Some professionals work directly with older adults, others may work on behalf of older adults, and still others provide goods and services to older adults. Courses are offered in a completely online format in an accelerated 8-week format.

Community & Nonprofit Leadership is provided through the Department of Sociology in the Shaheen College of Arts and Sciences. A minor in CNPL will explore the experiences of diverse groups of residents as well as learn fundraising and grant writing skills.

Business Foundations is provided through the School of Business. The Business Foundations minor focuses on foundational business administration courses and is a popular complement to those students pursuing bachelors degrees in Liberal Studies as well as other adult accelerated degrees.

Organizational Leadershipp is provided through the School of Business. The Organizational Leadership minor focuses on foundational business concepts along with important leadership concepts. This minor is a popular complement to those students pursuing bachelors degrees in Liberal Studies as well as other adult accelerated degrees.

The accelerated course calendar is divided into three terms (semesters) per year.  Each Fall and Winter term is divided into two eight-week sessions with each Summer term divided into two seven-week sessions. Students usually take two accelerated courses per session and must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher to remain in the program. Because of the intensive format, accelerated courses stress self-directed learning. Accelerated degree program students will have courses offered in a variety of formats including fully online, hybrid, and in-person classroom experiences.

The University of Indianapolis recognizes that adult learners may have acquired college-level competency through traditional and nontraditional experiences; thus, the school offers the opportunity to gain recognition for these competencies through a variety of methods, including:

• transfer credit from regionally accredited institutions

• credit by examination

• credit for other educational programs listed in the American Council on Education of the State University of New York Guides (ACE)

• credit for self-acquired competencies by completing a Prior Learning Assessment Portfolio

• military transcripts that have been ACE evaluated

Students who believe they are eligible for college credit for such experiences are encouraged to contact an advisor in the Office of Accelerated Adult Programs for more information and for assistance.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIOS

A prior learning assessment portfolio is a formal written communication presented by you to the University requesting credit for extra-collegiate, college level learning. A portfolio consists of multiple components. Each component plays a role in demonstrating mastery of learning objectives. Each portfolio must make its case by identifying learning clearly and succinctly, with supporting documentation and other evidence, that will demonstrate you have sufficiently mastered the credit being requested.

If you are a student who has nontraditional learning that meets the necessary criteria, you may be eligible to seek academic credit through the portfolio process. Credit is granted for learning, not just experience. The Prior Learning Assessment portfolio process provides you with an opportunity to earn credit for learning outside the confines of a traditional classroom. If you have developed college level knowledge, skills, and abilities as a result of: work experience, formal corporate training, operating your own business, working with a volunteer or community organization, seminars, or license; you may want to use this option.

Procedure for completing a prior learning assessment portfolio:

1. Meet with the PLA Coordinator in the Accelerated Adult Programs Office. During this meeting you will discuss what areas of potential learning you have and if it can be translated into a portfolio for academic credit.

2. Once approved, the PLA Coordinator will direct you into the next available PLA course. This course provides a structured series of activities designed to provide you with a systematic approach to identify learning obtained outside a traditional classroom. At the end of the course, you will have earned three (3) elective hours and have completed at least one portfolio of three (3) credit hours for submission.

3. Portfolios are evaluated by faculty who are content experts and trained in assessment.

4. If approved, the credits for the first portfolio will be added to your transcript at no additional charge.

5. You must take the PLA course before you can submit a portfolio.

6. You can earn up to thirty (30) credit hours through a prior learning assessment portfolio.  If  students wish to create portfolios after completing courses, they should work one-on-one with the PLA Coordinator. There is no charge to the students for subsequent portfolios. 

7. Students are required to have completed, submitted, and received approval for all portfolios before beginning their last term of enrollment.

All accelerated adult students are required to take SCAS 101 Return to Learning in their first term. This course is the equivalent of the New Student Experience for traditional undergraduates (see New Student Experience in the General Education section of this catalog).  Accelerated adult students must also take COMP 150 Microcomputer Applications.

The Writing & Speaking Across the Curriculum and Capstone requirements are met through courses in the majors (See Additional Requirements in the General Education section of this catalog).

Accelerated Adult Learners are exempt from the Lecture/Performance Series and the Spring Term requirements (See Additional Requirements in the General Education section of this catalog).

• Community & Non-Profit Leadership Major curriculum guide
• Public Health Education & Promotion (Accelerated Adult) Major curriculum guide
• Liberal Studies Major curriculum guide
• Organizational Leadership Major curriculum guide
• Business Administration (Accelerated Adult) Major curriculum guide

A minor is composed of at least 18 hours of coursework in one academic discipline or an approved combination of coursework in more than one discipline for baccalaureate degree-seeking students. A grade of C- or above is required in all courses in the minor.

• Aging Studies Minor curriculum guide
• Business Foundations Minor curriculum guide
• Organizational Leadership Minor curriculum guide

The Adult Exploratory Program is designed for the adult learner with little or no college experience, unsure of the best path to achieve career goals, and have not yet committed to a particular degree program. Adults in the Exploratory Program complete accelerated undergraduate courses and collaborate with a specially assigned academic advisor and staff in the Professional Edge Center. By utilizing the resources of UIndy and building strong connections with faculty and staff on campus, students are encouraged to select an academic major program that fits their needs and interests best within three semesters of being in the Exploratory Program.