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A Brief History of the United States by The World Factbook 2008

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology. Read More.

The CMU Experience

Central Michigan University, with a main campus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and more than 60 locations across the U.S., is nationally recognized for academic excellence in more than 200 programs. Cutting edge research, new facilities, graduate programs and top faculty ensure an education that is one of the best in the state.

But what really sets Central apart from other schools is difficult to describe. We call it "the CMU experience." It's the fact that nearly half of all CMU freshmen participate in leadership training their first week on campus. Or that CMU recently won a national award for assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Or it's that special professor who still remembers your name after 20 years. It's a spirit that defies definition. That's CMU.

From the President

Now is an exciting time in the history of Central Michigan University. Despite our state's challenges, CMU continues to increase its profile nationally.

As one of the state's top doctoral research institutions, CMU is finding new ways to improve the quality of life in Michigan and beyond. The university's 28,000 students, professors, and staff are earning national recognition for excellence in academics, research, athletics, and public service. We are meeting the challenges and embracing the opportunities created by today's increasingly global economy. CMU's facilities and human resources continue to expand and improve to meet students' needs.

At CMU, you will find a learning community that values student-centered teaching, encourages global understanding, develops undergraduate and graduate research opportunities, engages in public service, and actively welcomes diversity. Please explore our Web site to discover more about the personalized learning opportunities at CMU.

Thank you for your interest in Central Michigan University. We hope to see you at the professionally maintained campus in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, or at one of our more than 60 off-campus centers nationwide.

Michael Rao, Ph.D.
University President and Professor

Why Central Michigan University Off-Campus Programs?

If we only had two words to describe why you should choose CMU Off-Campus Programs over all the other higher education options you’ll consider, our answer would be… quality and service.

Degree of Quality

Established in 1892, Central Michigan University is Michigan’s fourth largest public university. We have:

• Ivy-covered halls and dorms
• Modern research facilities
• 480-acre campus
• State-of-the-art library system
• MAC Conference football champions 2 years in a row – 2006 and 2007.
• The 10th most productive small research university in the nation.

But all our accomplishments aside, there is one fact that every off-campus student should know…

All Central Michigan University programs, both on-campus and off-campus, are held to the same high standards. The over 5,000 new students admitted to CMU’s Off-Campus Programs each year receive the same quality education as our on-campus students.

Degree of Service

From your first inquiry about our programs through graduation and beyond, CMU Off-Campus Programs has a staff of hundreds of dedicated, knowledgeable people ready to help you through every phase of your journey.

Whether you are attending one of our 60 locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico or taking your courses online, our staff is here to answer your questions and direct you to services that can help you reach your goals.

Accredited university

CMU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools – the regional accrediting agency recognized by the National Educational Association (NEA) for our area. To become accredited, the programs offered by a university are examined to make sure they meet defined standards of quality.

Always make sure that any institution of higher learning that you are considering is regionally accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the NEA. If it is not, your degree can turn out to be a huge waste of time and money.

Bachelor's Degree Programs

Whether you want new skills to enhance performance at your current job or additional credentials to position yourself for promotion or a career change, an undergraduate degree from CMU will help. You can expect an undergraduate degree to increase your level of expertise and prepare you for the next step in your career.

Bachelor of Applied Arts

• Major in Administration

Bachelor of Science

• Major in Administration
• Major in Information Technology
• Major in Vehicle Engineering Design Technology
• Option in Community Development

Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Emphasis

• Integrated Science

Graduate Certificate and Endorsement Programs

Graduate Certificate
If you are interested in upgrading your credentials, but not sure that you want to earn a complete master’s degree, you can opt for a graduate certificate from CMU. Each of the MSA concentrations is available as a graduate certificate (see below). These programs consist of a series of courses that provide you with concentrated study in the administrative area of your choice. You can apply credits earned in the certificate program to the MSA degree if the concentration is the same.

• Certificate course work must be completed within 4 years.
• You may apply up to 6 hours of applicable transfer credit toward a MSA graduate certificate.
• You may use one MSA designator elective toward a MSA General Administration graduate certificate.
  

Concentrations
Note: Not all concentrations are available at all CMU program centers.

• Acquisitions Administration
• General Administration
• Health Services Administration
• Human Resources Administration
• Information Resource Management
• International Administration
• Leadership
• Public Administration
• SAP Graduate Certificate
• Vehicle Design and Manufacturing Administration
  

Middle Level Endorsement
Central Michigan University Off-Campus Programs is now offering an 18 credit hour Middle Level Endorsement for educators at our Livonia Center. The program is a planned series of six courses addressing the challenges of teaching the middle level student. Learn more...

Master's Degree Programs

Whether you want new skills to enhance performance at your current job or additional credentials to position yourself for promotion or a career change, a graduate degree from CMU will help. You can expect to increase your level of expertise and prepare for the next step in your career.

• MA degree in Ed Leadership, emphasis in Charter School Leadership
• Master of Arts degree in Counseling
• Master of Arts degree in Education
• Master of Arts degree in Educational Technology
• Master of Arts degree in Humanities
• Master of Arts degree in Reading and Literacy K-12
• Master of Arts degree in School Principalship
• Master of Arts degree in Sport Administration
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Business Administration (Online)
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Science in Administration
• Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

Specialist Programs

Whether you want new skills to enhance performance at your current job or additional credentials to position yourself for promotion or a career change, a graduate degree from CMU will help. You can expect to increase your level of expertise and prepare for the next step in your career.

This degree is based upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate work beyond the bachelor’s degree. Since a specialist degree implies an understanding of a field in greater depth than that provided by a similar master’s degree program, a student whose master’s degree is not in the same precise area as the chosen specialist program should expect to do more than 30 semester hours of work beyond the master’s degree.

Doctorate Degree Programs

Recently classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral/ research-intensive university, CMU offers eight doctorate programs on campus and two doctorate programs through CMU Off-Campus Programs.

• Doctor of Health Administration

Professional Development

CMU delivers flexible and cost-effective professional development programs to individuals and organizations.

Teachers/administrators

• Programs for educators
• Beaver Island
• Raven Hill Discovery Center
• CEU / State Board CEU
• The Connecting Link
• District-designed programs
• Michigan Driver Ed Certification
• TechTrainTeam (Technology in Education)
• e-Learning courses from Gatlin
• Certificate in Online Instruction
• Texas Instruments T3 Professional Development
• Issues in Wilderness and Remote Medicine

Business professionals/corporations

• Business Insight and Predictive Analytics
• Online certificate and e-Learning courses
• Training, consulting, assessment

HR professionals

• Worldatwork and CMU

Technology Training

• Online technology training from CMU and Mindleaders
• Online certificate and e-Learning courses

Public Service Professionals

• Public Service Institutes

Doctor of Health Administration degree

A doctorate designed for health care executives...

Leaders in the health care field need a doctoral program that is cutting edge, academically sound, practice-based and flexible. The Doctor of Health Administration degree from CMU meets those needs. Its online delivery format, combined with occasional short face-to-face seminars, provides the ultimate combination of academic rigor and practical convenience.

The objectives of this applied doctorate program are directed toward preparing individuals with the theoretical foundations, applied skills and practical expertise required for leadership positions within the health care industry.

The program is delivered in a combination of Web-based and seminar formats. Applications for admission are now being accepted. For more information, please contact us.

CMU is accredited through the doctoral level, including distance delivery of the Doctor of Health Administration, by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is CMU considering establishing a medical education program?
For several years, the university has considered the possibility of a medical education program, with interest largely initiated by a growing national physician shortage, insufficient U.S. medical education opportunities for qualified students, an aging statewide population, medically underserved mid- and northern Michigan regions, the need for regionally relevant health-related research, and economic opportunities for mid-Michigan in the life sciences sector.

What would be the focus or mission of CMU's medical education program?
At the academic core of this enterprise is a rurally focused allopathic medical education program. The program's rural emphasis will serve to stimulate new research and clinical trials in health-related issues such as stroke, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that specifically impact residents of the region.

Complemented by a strong set of biomedical, research-based baccalaureate and graduate programs, the anticipated curriculum will combine traditional basic science instruction with early clinical training, providing standardized patient and case-based learning during the first two years. CMU will partner with a cluster of regional medical centers to provide the required clinical and clerkship experiences during the third and fourth years.

What formal studies has CMU conducted on whether to establish a medical education program?
In 2007, the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees formally directed the exploration of a medical education program. A four-month study conducted by Michael Whitcomb, M.D., former senior executive at the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C., identified a strong infrastructure and foundation, including the basic sciences, library resources, and technology to establish a medical education program at Central Michigan University.
Encouraged by a strong infrastructure and foundation for the medical education program, Central Michigan University is following the rigorous accreditation standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) throughout all phasees of its feasibility analysis, including the development of an academic vision, a financial model, and a facility review.

What kind of foundation does CMU have in place to establish a new medical education program?
Established health care programs and services at The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions and solid basic sciences programs offered through the College of Science and Technology would form the foundation for a medical education program at CMU.
The university already has top health-related programs in physician assistant, audiology, physical therapy, community health, athletic training/sports medicine, health administration, and gerontology, and these programs are complemented by solid basic sciences including biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics.
CMU's Carls Center for Clinical Care and Education already performs 10,000 clinical services per year in speech-language pathology, fall and balance, counseling, psychology, and more. The university's Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Center and associated neurology doctoral program make significant contributions to the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, and the Doctor of Audiology program was the nation's first to be accredited.

Wouldn't a medical education program drain resources from CMU's other academic programs?
No. While some one-time resources will need to be invested, a self-supporting, tuition-based revenue structure with an annual class of 100 students, or 400 overall based on a four-year program, is anticipated.

What is the timeline leading up to admitting the first class of medical students?
Pending completion of the required affiliation agreements with health care providers, preliminary accreditation and facility requirements, a charter class could be recruited and enrolled as early as Fall 2011.

What kind of degree would medical students earn?
The undergraduate medical education program at Central Michigan University will lead to the Doctor of Medicine degree (M.D.). The first two years of the four-year program will focus on the basic sciences and prepare students for the required third and fourth year clinical experiences with partnered regional medical centers.

What kind of affiliation agreements will CMU need to form with regional health care institutions?
CMU currently is exploring potential partnerships with mid-Michigan health care institutions including Covenant HealthCare, St. Mary's of Michigan, Synergy Medical Education Alliance, and the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Saginaw; MidMichigan Health Systems in Midland; Central Michigan Community Hospital in Mount Pleasant; and Ascension Health Care in Warren. These agreements will form the structure for our students' required clinical experiences during years three and four of their medical education program.

What accreditation process is being followed?
Central Michigan University has used the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards to guide all phases of its feasibility review process.

LCME accreditation is a three-step process, starting with preliminary accreditation prior to recruiting the charter class, then moving to provisional accreditation during the second year and full accreditation in the fourth year prior to the graduation of the charter class.

A request has also been made of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to extend Central Michigan University's regional accreditation to include this new degree offering.

How can I get involved or obtain more information about CMU's medical education program plans?
CMU plans to continue actively engaging the university and area communities in this important process. As the university moves forward with its plans, it will provide updates regularly on the medical education program Web site (cmich.edu/med), in presidential updates, and through reports to faculty and staff, the Academic Senate, P&A Council, meetings with college faculty, and more. All university faculty and staff are encouraged to remain informed and actively participate in this project.

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