Enjoy the convenience and flexibility of earning an online degree from the comfort of your own home with Columbia Southern University.
CSU features affordable tuition, esteemed faculty and supportive staff to help you overcome financial, academic and life’s unexpected hurdles while gaining a quality online education.
Whether you are seeking an associate, bachelor, master or doctoral degree or even a certificate program, CSU can help meet your needs and educational goals. As one of the nation’s top online universities, we are continually striving to improve and adapt our degree curriculums, outstanding customer service and outreach programs.
Online Degree Programs
Get to Know Anthony Terry
Get to Know Anthony Terry
A veteran in the information technology field, Anthony Terry understands what it means to be flexible and change. After more than 20 years, Terry decided in 2010 to complete a goal that he had set out to do long ago: earn a bachelor’s degree.
The busy husband and father of three had taken many courses here and there, but finding the time to go to school, handle a demanding IT job and take care of a family was difficult.
So after learning about Columbia Southern University at an education fair at his wife’s job (she is a CSU graduate, too), Terry decided to apply and seek an online bachelor’s degree in IT.
“Online education gives you an opportunity to get a college education with the flexibility to complete your courses anytime, anywhere,” said Terry. “I feel it gave me a second chance to complete my college education as an adult student. Most of us have started a family and begun a career and just don't have the time to actually go to school. By taking classes online, I had the best of both worlds. I was a full-time college student and a full-time employee.”
He added that online education can be challenging. “You still have to be committed to do this. Probably even more so than a student who attends a traditional school. With all the flexibility comes great responsibility.”
Terry found CSU courses in IT current and relevant for his career path. “Also, the instructors were great and always helpful. They provided good feedback and communication. The staff at CSU was always helpful when I had a question,” he said, particularly in getting his previous coursework transferred.
Another appealing aspect of CSU “was their relationship with some very large corporate organizations. I felt comfortable to know that these organizations were associated with the school.”
After completing his degree, Terry later found employment as an IT systems engineer with an Atlanta-based virtualization management and security company. He said his degree played a role in securing the job.
“There are a lot of people out there with experience but having a degree can be a differentiating factor when employers are looking to hire.”
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About CSU
Columbia Southern University, one of the nation’s first completely online universities, was developed to provide working adults with an alternative to the traditional university experience. Our mission is to change lives through education by offering affordable, flexible, quality academic opportunities and extraordinary service, enabling adults to maximize their professional and personal potential, and serve the communities in which they live and work.
Online associate, bachelor, master, doctorate and certificate programs are available in a variety of fields including fire science, criminal justice, business administration, information technology, human resource management and occupational safety and health.
CSU also offers:
- Accredited Programs
- Flexible Learning
- Textbooks Provided Through CSU Book Grant
- No ACT, SAT, GRE or GMAT Required
- TA and VA Benefits
- Complimentary Tutoring Services
View all Online Degree Programs at CSU
Accreditation
Columbia Southern University (CSU) is an accredited member of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. All CSU programs have been reviewed and approved by DETC.
Additionally, the Accrediting Commission of the DETC is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is a nonprofit organization serving as the national advocate for self-regulation through accreditation. Institutional membership is limited to nationally or regionally accredited colleges or universities.
Tuition & Financing
When comparing quality and cost, CSU is your best option. Our tuition is competitively priced to make achieving a quality education affordable and realistic for the average person.
The tuition rate for graduate courses per-credit hour is $250 for all active-duty military members (not applicable for CSU Learning Partners). The lower rate is offered to keep the tuition rate at the DoD cap of $250. CSU Learning Partners receive a tuition discount that is applied to the full tuition rate.
Federal Financial Aid
Federal Financial Aid offers grant and loan programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. CSU participates in several grant and loan programs available through Federal Student Aid. Most CSU students who meet the following criteria may be eligible to receive financial aid. For more information, visit the Financial Aid section of the website.
Military Educational Benefits
CSU is approved to offer DANTES, Tuition Assistance (TA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. Additional education funding is available to those approved for TA and eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits. In addition, all service members receive an application fee waiver. Immediate family members of active-duty service members will receive the waiver and a ten percent tuition discount. For more information about military educational benefits, visit the military section of the website.
Scholarship Programs
There are many scholarship opportunities available for CSU students. For more information, visit the scholarship page.