Apr 19, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Open Bridge Program Information


Master of Business Administration - Open Bridge


Choose 12 credit hours of coursework from the following:

  • ACC 501 - Managerial Accounting Hours: 3 (Core requirement: Must have successfully completed ACC 230  or ACC 231 *)
  • ACC 521 - Government & Non-Profit Accounting Hours: 3 (Accounting Concentration Only. Must have successfully completed ACC 501.)
  • ACC 530 - Advanced Tax Hours: 3 (Accounting Concentration Only. Must have successfully completed ACC 501.)
  • ACC 537 - Advanced Auditing Applications Hours: 3 (Accounting Concentration Only. Must have successfully completed ACC 501.)
  • ACC 533 - Accounting Theory Hours: 3 (Accounting Concentration Only. Must have successfully completed ACC 501.)
  • BUS 504 - Creativity & Innovation in Orgs Hours: 3
  • BUS 511 - Financial Management & Budgeting Hours: 3 (Must have successfully completed ACC 501.)
  • BUS 513 - Marketing Strategy Hours: 3
  • BUS 514 - Human Behavior in Organizations Hours: 3
  • BUS 515 - Healthcare Human Resource Management Hours: 3
  • BUS 519 - Supply Chain & Operations Management Hours: 3
  • BUS 520 - Negotiation & Conflict Resolution Hours: 3
  • BUS 521 - Societal, Ethical & Legal Issues Hours: 3
  • BUS 530 - Managing the Multinational Organization Hours: 3
  • BUS 531 - Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship Hours: 3
  • BUS 542 - Business & Professional Communications Hours: 3
  • BUS 583 - Special Topics in Business Hours: 3 (Must have approval of Academic Advisor prior to enrollment.)
  • ECO 502 - Economic Analysis for Managers Hours: 3

Master of Arts: Community College Administration - Open Bridge


Choose 12 hours from the following - note that courses not available online are only offered the Center for Graduate Studies in Asheville:

  • EDU 604 - Community College & American Education Hours: 3
  • EDU 612 - Community College Budgeting, Finance & Management Hours: 3
  • EDU 630 - The Adult Learner Hours: 3
  • EDU 631 - Design & Dev. for Student Programs Hours: 3

Master of Arts: Counseling (Clinical Mental Health or School) - Open Bridge


Students interested in completing a degree in School or Clinical Mental Health Counseling must meet the all the criteria as outlined for graduate school admissions. Students should be aware that admission to the graduate school is not the same as admission into the Counseling Degree Program. Students must complete the following to be eligible to submit an application for candidacy in one of the Counseling Degree programs:

  1. The student must have taken and passed the introductory core courses with a grade of B or better. The core courses required for candidacy include: COU 505, 525, and 530.
  2. In addition to the academic requirements, each student must receive a satisfactory interpersonal dispositions evaluation from the faculty of the identified core courses. A sample of the interpersonal dispositions evaluation can be found in the Counseling Student Handbook.
  3. The student must also submit a clear background check and proof of liability insurance through the American Counseling Association (ACA).

Applications for candidacy in the Counseling programs are accepted and reviewed at the completion of the above stated requirements. Please see the Graduate Counseling Degree Handbook for more information on the Application for Candidacy.

Choose 12 credit hours from the following:

  • COU 505 - Counseling Theories Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • COU 520 - Clinical Mental Health Counseling Hours: 3 (Clinical Mental Health Program Only)
  • COU 524 - Psychological & Educational Testing Hours: 3
  • COU 525 - Orientation & Ethical Practices Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • COU 535-  Diversity Issues for the Helping Professional Hours: 3
  • COU 545-  Career Counseling Hours: 3
  • COU 549 - Addictions Counseling Hours: 3
  • COU 560 - Marriage & Family Counseling Hours: 3
  • COU 583 - Designated Counseling Electives Hours: 3 (Must have approval of Academic Advisor prior to enrollment.)
  • EDU 505 - Research Methodology Hours: 3
  • EDU 506 - Child, Individual & Family Development Hours: 3

Master of Science: Exercise Science - Open Bridge


NOTE: BIO 281  and BIO 282  must be completed prior to participating in the Bridge program. Choose 9 hours from the following:

  • EXS 505 - Sports Nutrition Hours: 3
  • EXS 510 - Sport and Exercise Psychology Hours: 3
  • EXS 515 - Human Movement & Biomechanics Hours: 3
  • EXS 5XX - Approved ES Electives Hours: 3 (Must have approval of ES Academic Advisor prior to enrollment.)

Master of Arts: Human Services - Open Bridge


Choose 12 credit hours from the following - note that some courses will only be available online:

  • COU 549 - Addictions Counseling Hours: 3 (Addictions Counseling Track Only)
  • COU 545 - Career Counseling Hours: 3 (Career Development Track Only)
  • HCS 505 - Theoretical Foundations & History of Human Services Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 510 - Human Systems Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 515 - Human Services Delivery Systems Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 520 - Information Management for Human Services Professionals Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 525 - Human Services Program Planning and Evaluation Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 530 - Interventions and Direct Delivery Human Services Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • HCS 535 - Interpersonal Communications for Human Services Professionals Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)

Master of Arts: Leadership - Open Bridge


Choose 12 credit hours from the following - note that some courses may only be available online:

  • BUS 514 - Human Behavior in Organizations Hours: 3
  • BUS 542 - Business & Professional Communication Hours: 3
  • LED 505 - Theories of Leadership & Administration Hours: 3
  • LED 525 - Legal & Ethical Issues of Leadership Hours: 3

Master of Arts: University Leadership - Open Bridge


Choose 12 credit hours from the following - note that some courses may only be available online:

  • LED 505 - Theories of Leadership & Administration Hours: 3
  • EDU 625 - Law & Ethics in Education Hours: 3
  • EDU 659 - Technology in Schools & Organizations Hours: 3
  • EDU 631 - Student Program Design & Implementation Hours: 3

Master of Science: Online Teaching & Instructional Design - Open Bridge


Note that students from any major are eligible to bridge directly into the MS OTID program without additional content area testing.

Choose 12 hours from the following - online courses only:

  • EDU 651 - Foundations of Distance Education Hours: 3
  • EDU 652 - How People Learn Hours: 3
  • EDU 653 - Emerging Web & Mobile Technologies Hours: 3
  • EDU 654 - Methods for Online Teaching & Learning Hours: 3

Master of Public Health - Open Bridge


Choose 12 credit hours from the following:

  • COU 535 - Diversity Issues for Health Professionals Hours: 3 (Core Program Requirement)
  • MPH 560 - Environmental Health Hours: 3 (Concentration Program Requirement)

Program Electives


Choose up to 9 credit hours from the following for program electives:

  • ACC 505 - Accounting for Healthcare Admin. Hours: 3
  • BUS 513 - Marketing Strategy Hours: 3
  • BUS 515 - HR Management for Healthcare Admin Hours: 3
  • BUS 518 - Operations Management for Healthcare Admin Hours: 3
  • EDU 506 - Child, Individual & Family Development Hours: 3
  • MPH 575 - Nutrition Concepts Hours: 3
  • MPH 576 - Drug Use & Abuse Hours: 3
  • MPH 577 - Human Sexuality Hours: 3
  • MPH 578 - Global Health & Ethics Hours: 3
  • MPH 579 - Application of Theories Hours: 3
  • MPH 583 - Designated Public Health Electives Hours: 3 (Must have approval of Academic Advisor prior to enrollment.)
  • POL 525 - Environmental Policy Hours: 3
  • SUS 530 - Science of Sustainability Hours: 3
  • SUS 523 - Sustainable Energy & Material Hours: 3

Specific Program Admission Materials and Allowed Courses - LTSS


  • Students from any undergraduate major are invited to apply to the LTSS articulation program. The pre-enrollment group must be limited to 15% of the total seminary students in any degree program per ATS standards on non-baccalaureate students in seminary classes.
  • Lutheran students will be “reported” to their synods so they can begin the year-long discernment process that most candidacy committees are requesting now. The students would then be ready for full enrollment with candidacy requirements met upon graduation from LRU.

Students may take up to two seminary courses each semester of the senior year for a total of 12 credit hours of articulation to the seminary (equivalent to one semester of courses). The articulated courses will count as undergraduate credit units based on the determination of the undergraduate department.

In addition to the 12 hours of articulation credits, students also can take advantage of the seminary’s Advanced Standing Policy. Religion majors (and others who elect religion courses as electives) may apply corollary courses from the religion major (in which they make an A) as Tier 1 advanced standing credit to LTSS upon admission. Religion majors will particularly benefit from the combination of Articulation and Advanced Standing Policies and may accumulate as much as 85% of the first year of seminary (MDiv) through the combination of the two. The total number of credit hours available through articulation and advanced standing is limited by ATS standards to 25% of the total degree requirements (for the MDiv degree 23 hours and for the MAR or MACM degree, 14 hours).

The seminary will teach two courses each fall and two each spring from the following list. The delivery model will be either online, hybrid, or in Hickory. Four courses will be taught each academic year from among the list of these six:

  • BIB 511 - Survey of Old Testament
  • CED 500 - Faith Formation in the Parish
  • THL 500 - Introduction to Theological Thinking
  • MIN 505 - Foundations in Pastoral Care
  • MIN 510 - Foundation in Christian Worship
  • MIN 520 - Foundation in Christian Mission

Master of Science: Sustainability Studies - Open Bridge


Choose 12 hours from the following - note that courses are currently only offered the Center for Graduate Studies in Asheville - travel to the Asheville Campus will be required:

*Students who are not completing an undergraduate program in Environmental Science & Policy should strongly consider taking (or having taken) the following undergraduate courses: ENV 120G , POL 120 , MAT 215  or POL 215 , ENV 250 /ENV 250L , and BIO 310 . Please check with a Sustainability Studies advisor for more information.

  • POL 519 - Public Policy Processes Hours: 3
  • POL 525 - Environmental Policy Hours: 3
  • SUS 501 - Visions of Sustainable Communities Hours: 3
  • SUS 520 - Science for Sustainability Hours: 3
  • SUS 523 - Sustainable Energy & Material Use Hours: 3

Master of Arts: Teaching - Open Bridge


Students from the following majors are eligible to bridge directly into the MAT program without additional content area testing:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • History
  • Biology

Students from all other majors will undergo a transcript review for content related to the subject for which they intend to teach. In most cases, students will be required to successfully complete the Praxis II examination for this content area to verify content area knowledge required for federal highly qualified status. Required Praxis II examinations for high school content areas can be found at http://www.ets.org/praxis/nc/requirements/.

In addition to the general admissions rules for the Bridges programs, all candidates must show basic skills proficiency through the provision of standardized examination scores. This is a state licensure requirement for all candidates pursuing teacher certification. Passing scores must be received prior to beginning MAT coursework. Acceptable examinations include:

  • Praxis: Core Academic Skills for Educators (Reading, Writing & Mathematics)
  • GRE
  • MAT
  • EDU 615 - Foundations of Education Hours: 3
  • EDU 616 - Content Methodology: Pedagogy & Lesson Development Hours: 3
  • EDU 617 - Methods for Integrating Technology Hours: 3
  • EDU 618 - Differentiation Hours: 3

Master of Arts: Writing - Open Bridge


Choose 12 hours from the following - note that courses not available online are only offered the Center for Graduate Studies in Asheville:

  • WRI 501 - Rhetorical Theory & Research in Writing Hours: 3
  • WRI 510 - Exploring the Evolution of Fiction Hours: 3
  • WRI 511 - Exploring the Evolution of Creative Nonfiction Hours: 3
  • WRI 512 - Exploring the Evolution of Poetry Hours: 3
  • WRI 583 - Special Topics in Writing Workshops Hours: 3 (Must have approval of Academic Advisor prior to enrollment.)