Expanding academic programs leads to continued
growth in enrollment, graduates
PHOENIX, April 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Canyon University
produced nearly 30,000 graduates again in 2023-24 – the third
straight year the university has approached that milestone.
GCU will celebrate a 2023-24 graduating class of 28,985 during
commencement ceremonies on April
25-26 for traditional students and May 1-3 for online students. The graduating class
includes those who completed their degrees in Summer 2023, Fall
2023 and projected graduates from Spring 2024.
That follows graduating classes of 29,116 in 2022-23 and 30,000
in 2021-22.
"We are blessed to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of
another record class of graduates who are meeting the needs of
today's workforce and fulfilling their purpose as servant leaders
throughout the world," said GCU President Brian Mueller. "While enrollment numbers and
graduation numbers are declining nationwide, we have continued to
produce a significant number of graduates who are impacting
industries throughout the country. That is a testament to the
extraordinary power of education when delivered creatively across
multiple platforms and taught from a Christian worldview
perspective. It is also a reflection of both our outstanding
students and the support they receive from our faculty and
staff."
Among the notable aspects of this year's graduating class of
29,436 students:
- 5,388 are traditional students taking classes on the
Phoenix campus, while 23,597
studied online.
- Of all graduates, 15,580 completed their undergraduate degree
and 13,405 were graduate students earning master's or doctoral
degrees.
- The Honors College had 682 graduates, bringing the total to
more than 2,500 since the college's inception in 2013.
Much of GCU's enrollment growth can be attributed to its
continued emphasis on expanding academic programs and offering them
in multiple in-person, online and hybrid learning platforms that
meet the needs of individual students. In the 2023-24 academic
year:
- Enrollment at GCU surpassed 25,000 on the Phoenix campus, with another 92,000+ students
studying online.
- GCU grew from 9 to 10 colleges when the College of Science,
Engineering and Technology split into two, forming the College of
Engineering and Technology (CET) under new Dean Paul Lamberston and the College of Natural
Sciences (CNS) under Dean Dr. Mark
Wooden. The restructure was created to focus on additional
innovative curriculum and expanded job opportunities. Lambertson,
who brings experience and industry ties from his career with the
Air Force, plans to add degrees in civil aerospace and systems
engineering. Wooden is also responding to job market opportunities
to grow CNS and plans to launch programs that prepare
undergraduates for schools in physical therapy, veterinary medicine
and dentistry.
- GCU opened a physical location for its Grand Canyon Theological
Seminary in September 2023. The
17,000-square-foot Seminary offers GCU's Master of Divinity program
and is also a space for local pastors to come together, work on
sermons and utilize the library.
- GCU created the Center for Workforce Development that develops
pathways to fill labor gaps in trades industries. So far, two
pathways have been established: a Pre-Apprenticeship for
Electricians in partnership with Rosendin Electric and Maricopa County, and a Computer Numerical
Control (CNC) Machinist Pathway in partnership with Benchmark
Electronics, Modern Industries and Lux Precision Manufacturing.
Four cohorts have completed the Pre-Apprenticeship for Electricians
and two cohorts have completed the CNC Pathway.
- GCU added two more Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing
(ABSN) program sites in Phoenix
and Chandler, Arizona – bringing
the total number of sites to six alongside its other locations in
Tucson and Sun City, Arizona; Henderson, Nevada; and Sandy, Utah. The university is on track to
open three more sites in the 2024-25 academic year as it continues
to add programs in order to address the country's nursing shortage.
Students in the hybrid program can earn their degrees in as little
as 16 months.
About Grand Canyon
University: Grand Canyon
University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian
university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and
offers 337 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both
traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The
University's curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates,
both in-person and online, and individual attention from
instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to
help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring
professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.
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SOURCE Grand Canyon University