Media Fact Sheet
About Columbia Southern University
One of nation's first completely online universities, Columbia Southern University (CSU) was developed to meet the demand for alternatives to the traditional university experience. Established in 1993, all programs are offered online, allowing the non-traditional student to honor their career and family commitments while steadily progressing toward their educational goals. Flexible programs and open enrollment give students the opportunity to begin courses at anytime and study when it best fits their schedule.
Additional CSU student benefits include competitive tuition rates, textbooks at no cost, maximum transfer credit, and quality service. Faculty and staff closely follow the university's principles of providing excellent student service and an adaptable learning format for the working professional. Courses are offered in an accelerated 8-week or 10-week format.
CSU is one of six Academic Partners of Delta Air Lines and one of approximately 140 schools approved to offer up-front tuition assistance through the U.S. Army's centralized tuition assistance portal, GoArmyEd. The Board of Certified Safety Professionals accepts CSU degrees for both the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) application and credit towards recertification in the Continuance of Certification program. CSU offers associate, bachelor, master, doctoral and certificate programs in a variety of concentrations including business administration, occupational safety and health, fire science, criminal justice, and more.
In addition to offering and promoting its own programs, CSU also promotes online programs for the University of North Alabama.
Accreditation
CSU is licensed by the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education and is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) to offer associate, bachelor, master and doctorate degrees. DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. As an accredited, degree-granting member of the DETC, CSU is also an institutional member of the Council of Higher Education Accreditation.
Enrollment
With an enrollment of more than 19,000, CSU students are typically between 25 to 45 years of age. Nearly half of these are active military students.
Educational Offerings
CSU offers associate, bachelor, graduate and postgraduate programs in a variety of fields including business administration, fire science, human resource management and occupational safety and health. Undergraduate and graduate certificate programs are also available.
- Degree Programs: 22
- Courses: More than 340
Employment
With more than 300 in-house faculty and staff, CSU is among the top employers in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Partnerships
CSU has more than 1,400 existing partnerships with universities, corporations, municipalities, fire departments and police departments. Among these are University of North Alabama, Delta Air Lines, New York Fire Department, National Sheriffs' Association, Chicago Fire Department and many others. Our partnerships extend to organizations in more than half of the 50 U.S. states and several countries.
Contact Information
Columbia Southern University
P.O. Box 3110
21982 University Lane
Orange Beach, AL 36561
1-800-977-8449
www.columbiasouthern.edu