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.
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Get to Know Tracy Barnes
Get to Know Tracy Barnes
Tracy Barnes is an elite athlete who trains and competes in the biathlon, a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing with rifle marksmanship. Barnes, who shares her passion for the biathlon with her twin sister, has been competing for 11 years and both plan to participate in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Barnes’ love for the biathlon takes her many places. “I’m on the road for about eight months out of the year. I spend most of the winter (November through March) in Europe and travel to training camps all over the U.S. in the summer and fall,” she explained. The training, competition and travel have paid off for the Durango, Colo., native.
"Biathlon has such a unique combination of skill and endurance that makes it so challenging. And it’s the No. 1 winter sport in Europe. It is so exciting competing in Europe in front of 20,000 screaming fans! And the biggest thrill for me is representing the U.S. in the Olympics. There’s no greater honor," she said.
Another thrill for Barnes has been attending CSU in pursuit of an online bachelor’s degree in business.
"A friend of mine was taking some courses and told me about CSU. I had wanted to finish my degree for some time and had attended colleges and universities all over the U.S.," she said. "But I hit a point where I was traveling too much and was unable to attend classes. CSU offered me the flexibility I needed to finish my degree and still pursue my athletic goals. I started taking classes in 2010 and hope to finish my degree before the next Olympics."
Barnes said that her desire for an education also has yielded some dividends for her athletic career. "I find that when I have my schoolwork to do, I’m more efficient with my time and that helps my training and competing. It’s nice to have an outlet outside of my sport and it’s always a fun challenge to continually expand the mind and learn all you can on a certain topic."
She added that feedback from professors and intriguing online courses have contributed to her enjoyment of CSU.
"My education has always been important to me and I always wanted to pursue a degree in business, but was having trouble attending classes being on the road for so long. CSU was a perfect fit for me because the classes were high quality and it has the flexibility to allow me to take classes from anywhere in the world. I’m very passionate about business and it’s always exciting to learn everything I’ll need to know to run my own business someday."
For those considering pursuing a degree "someday," Barnes offers this advice: "Do it! Start now! You certainly won’t regret it. No one can afford to pass up an opportunity to have a degree. Set your mind to it and you’ll have a quality degree before you know it."
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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
- Self-Paced and Structured Classes
- Textbooks Provided Through CSU Book Grant
- No ACT, SAT, GRE or GMAT Required
- TA and VA Benefits
- Complimentary Tutoring Services
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Accreditation
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Distance Education
and Training Council
1601 18th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-234-5100 |
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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.