Small Business Management Certificate for Military Spouses

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (June 30, 2007)– A new college-level certificate program in office management, created specifically for military spouses, is now exclusively available through Andrew Jackson University. This four-course online study program is intended to educate military family members in the administration of a small business. Graduates receive a Certificate in Small Business Office Management. The courses, each of which take approximately three months to complete, prepare graduates for employment in a small business office or home based business. A formal certificate of proficiency is awarded, by an accredited university, to graduates of this new program.

Information on the Military Spouse Scholarship and the Certification of Proficiency in Small Business Office Management can be obtained by calling 800-429-9300, ext. 1, emailing spouse.scholarships@aju.edu. Please include a daytime telephone number so an admissions representative can follow up with you.

The new small business certificate program was developed in response to demand for courses that don’t necessarily lead to a college degree, but provide short-program graduates with skills that are in demand by the nation’s small businesses. Betty Howell, University vice president, says that response to their recently announced Military Spouse Scholarship program, and feedback by those respondents, provided the impetus to offer educational credentials that could help military spouses land a job or start a business.

Spouses who become participants in this unique program learn about management, marketing, accounting and bookkeeping, payroll and taxes, and hiring and human resource functions. Also included is instruction in retailing, obtaining capital, and effective business communication tools like press releases and public relations.

Tammy Kassner, senior admissions representative at the university, says that since all courses are accessible 24/7 online and are self-paced, the new certificate program is very appealing to military spouses. “Many of those I’ve spoken to personally are already working or taking care of their families alone while their spouse is deployed. They need the flexibility our school offers,” Kassner commented. “Additionally, if they have to relocate during a course they won’t lose credit for courses, or the tuition they paid, as they do with most classroom courses. Courses taken in the certificate program are also accepted into the University’s associate and bachelor’s degree programs if students wish to continue with advanced studies,” Kassner explained.

Military spouses can save money by applying for Andrew Jackson University’s Military Spouse Scholarship, which reduces tuition by 25 percent. “This is like getting one course at no charge, and it is on top of our already low tuition,” Howell said.

Andrew Jackson University continues to develop special programs that are designed to assist and benefit those serving in the nation’s military, law enforcement and public safety organizations. In many cases, these programs are also available to spouses and family members. Check with the University to see if you qualify.

ABOUT ANDREW JACKSON UNIVERSITY Founded in 1994, Andrew Jackson University www.aju.edu is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an authorized accrediting agency. The University has two specialized schools, the Brian Tracy College of Business and Entrepreneurship www.btc.aju.edu , and the Jeffrey D. Rubenstein College of Criminal Justice and Public Safety www.jrc.aju.edu . Students may also qualify for college credit based on training and life experience.