DeVry brings university classes to Lynnwood

  • By M.L. Dehm SCBJ Freelance Writer
  • Wednesday, December 28, 2011 1:21pm

LYNNWOOD — Last month, Economic Alliance Snohomish County hosted an official grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new DeVry University in Lynnwood. It is the first DeVry campus in the county and the third in the Puget Sound region.

DeVry is an accredited institution that offers business and technology degree programs designed to match current market needs. It’s popular with adults looking to upgrade their job skills and with those learning a new career.

The new campus, which welcomed its first group of students in July, has graduate and undergraduate degree programs. Graduate-degree programs, such as a masters in business administration, are available through the school’s affiliation with the Keller Graduate School of Management.

These programs can be taken online or on site. Once enrolled, students have the option to sign up for classes at the Bellevue or Federal Way campuses as well. Because the Lynnwood campus offers classes year-round, students can earn their degrees faster than in a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree program or two-year associate degree program.

According to Lynnwood campus dean David Stewart, DeVry University stands out for the scheduling flexibility it offers students. With evening, weekend and online classes, it is convenient for those who already have a job or are juggling a busy schedule.

He also likes the type of degrees that are offered. These are from in-demand fields such as business and management, computer network and information systems, communications, graphics and web design.

Stewart, a Puget Sound native and longtime Snohomish County resident, was instrumental in bringing the new campus to Lynnwood. Five years ago, he wrote a business plan for the creation of this location. He then spent the intervening time serving as DeVry’s Seattle Metro president.

“Then when this (the Lynnwood campus) finally came into being, I made the decision that I wanted to do the startup since I had been so much a part of it for so long,” Stewart said.

He was named dean of the Lynwood campus last June and was made responsible for both the launch and management of the new location. This included overseeing enrollment, academics, marketing and operations.

The first months were spent getting the initial groups of students off the ground and making sure that the surrounding community knew where they were located. By the time the Dec. 15 grand opening and ribbon cutting rolled around, Stewart was proud to show off his campus at the Redstone Corporate Center west of Alderwood mall.

Founded in Chicago in 1931, the for-profit university now has more than 90 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The Bellevue and Federal Way locations have been in operation since 2001. DeVry University is authorized by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board and meets requirements established under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act.

Learn more

DeVry University in Lynnwood is located at 19020 33rd Ave. W., Suite 100. For more information, go to www.devry.edu.

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