Central Pennsylvania College, commonly abbreviated Central Penn, is a private for-profit four-year residential college. It is a leading career-oriented institution with high standards of excellence. Its mission is to provide hands-on education that prepares students to pursue or advance in employment in their interest areas, enroll in advanced education programs, and become contributing society members. Its five core values include integrity, professionalism, service, respect, and educational focus.
The college prides itself on its caring and experienced faculty members and flexibility and variety of academic programs. It has a low student to teacher ratio of 16:1 to provide real-world education and a sense of community among peers and instructors. Central Penn is also committed to incorporating today’s modern technology into its educational practices to ensure students are completely equipped with the necessary skills to pursue a successful career.
Central Penn offers various online programs at the certificate, associate, and bachelor’s degree levels. Its online education program offers asynchronous online courses that enable students to complete assignments on a flexible schedule. Students are able to self-manage their course load and interact with instructors and other classmates. The virtual classrooms are presented through Blackboard, an online learning system that includes discussion forums, numerous course work uplinks, and a digital drop box. The online learning system also enables students to access an online library, various research resources, and the Smart Thinking tutorial service. Online programs include accounting, business administration, information technology, criminal justice, marketing, intelligence analysis, and homeland security management.
Central Penn is committed to a philosophy of community mindedness that prepares students to become contributing society members. It requires all students to complete a service requirement prior to graduation. For example, bachelor’s degree students must complete at least 50 hours of service. Service hours may occur on campus or in a community organization.
Central Pennsylvania College dates its history to 1881 when the Pennsylvania Business College was founded. Central Pennsylvania Business College was opened in 1922 and it was the only business college to survive by 1923. The transition from a business school to a college started in 1977 when the school received accreditation. Central Penn was recognized as a two-year college with ability to grant degrees in 1999. It was granted permission to operate as a four-year degree granting entity in 2000. In the last decade, Central Pennsylvania has continued to expand and add new programs. It began offering online courses in 2004 and was granted permission to offer completely online bachelor’s degree programs in 2005. Currently, Central Penn provides education to about 1,200 students.
Accreditation
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education accredits Central Pennsylvania College.
Scholarships Offered
Scholarships may be available to those who qualify.
Financing Options
Financial aid may be available to those who qualify.
Credit Earning Options
Central Pennsylvania College may review and accept transfer credits on a case by case basis.