General Overview

Originally a junior college established in 1918 run by the Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton, Iowa called Mount St. Clare College, Ashford University began serving only students in the local area. MSC became The Franciscan University in 2002 and was then acquired by Bridgepoint Education, Inc. in 2005 when its name was changed to Ashford University. In addition to traditional on-campus bachelor’s degree programs as well as after-hours degree programs for working adults in the on-campus accelerated program, Ashford currently offers a number of associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs exclusively online and reaches students all across the country.

Ashford seeks not only to prepare its students for their chosen career field but also to develop strong leaders of vision and integrity. Degree programs offered by Ashford seek to promote 21st century values like creativity, interdependence, and service through student-centered learning experiences that prepare students for the global workplace. Although it became a for-profit university in 2005 and provides career preparation, it still retains its historical roots as a liberal arts institution of higher learning.

Associate’s Degrees:
Business

• Bachelor’s Degrees:
• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Business Economics
• Business Information Systems
• Communication Studies
• Early Childhood Education
• Early Childhood Education Administration
• Education and Public Policy
• English Language Learner Studies
• Entrepreneurship
• Environmental Studies
• Health and Human Studies
• Health Care Administration
• Health Care Studies
• History
• Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Human Resources Management
• International Business
• Journalism and Mass Communication
• Operations Management and Analysis
• Organizational Management
• Political Science and Government
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Public Relations and Marketing
• Social and Criminal Justice
• Social Science
• Social Science with Education Concentration
• Sociology
• Sports and Recreation Management

Master’s Degrees: