Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) will host a Distance and Graduate Studies Open House on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Mary and Andrew Rooney Library, located on the SMWC campus.

The Open House event will include an introduction to SMWC’s Woods External Degree Program (WED), the accelerated Woods Online Program and SMWC’s six graduate programs. Attendees can explore available majors and meet faculty members; obtain information on credit options, career planning and financial aid; and those who bring their transcripts can receive an unofficial credit evaluation.

Since 1973, the flexible distance learning format of the WED Program has helped thousands of men and women to earn a college degree at their own pace. The WED program offers a wide variety of majors — including accounting, computer information systems, criminal justice, education, human resource management, journalism, psychology, and theology — and the faculty and staff are committed to providing students with the support they need to succeed.

SMWC drew on its 35 years of experience in distance education to develop an accelerated distance education program called Woods Online, which uses interactive technology and a virtual classroom environment to provide peer support and feedback. Accelerated 8-week sessions allow students to attend college full-time and graduate in four years or less. The program is open to both women and men.

In addition to the undergraduate distance learning programs, SMWC offers six graduate distance learning programs in art therapy, earth literacy, education, leadership development, music therapy and pastoral theology. All of the graduate programs at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College are open to women and men, and they are delivered through distance education, which means that students spend minimal time on campus.

SMWC believes in the value of private college education, so high priority is placed on efforts to make higher education affordable. Through the Corporate Connection program, the College partners with businesses to provide their employees with a 10 percent tuition discount when they enroll in the WED or Woods Online programs or one of SMWC’s graduate programs. A recent partnership with Ivy Tech Community College also provides Ivy Tech graduates with transfer grants that can be applied towards the cost of tuition for SMWC’s undergraduate degree programs. In addition, SMWC awards six $6,000 scholarships and six $3,000 scholarships to graduate students who demonstrate financial need as assessed by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results.

To register for SMWC’s Distance and Graduate Studies Open House, or for more information about distance education options at SMWC, contact the Office of Distance & Graduate Admission by phone at 800-499-0373 or by e-mail at wedadms@smwc.edu. More information can also be found online at www.smwc.edu.