Jones International University (JIU) History and Academics

History

Jones International University, an online degree-granting institution, was the brainchild of Glen R. Jones. Jones originally launched the cable television network Mind Extension University, which had 30,000 students take courses from more than 30 colleges and universities. Once the internet gained popularity, Jones started Jones International University to provide an online-only college experience in 1993, and began awarding degrees. Once the Higher Learning Commission granted it accreditation, Jones International continued to expand its degree offerings because critics challenged the fact it did not have many programs.

Jones owns other companies as well. In 1969, he founded Jones International, which serves as a corporate parent of a number of other companies. Jones owns companies in education, entertainment and technology, and he still serves at the chairman of the board and chief executive officer. At one time, Jones owned a media conglomerate, the Jones Media Group, which owned the Jones Radio Networks, Jones MediaAmerica and JonesTM.

Jones is also the owner of a number of companies that have educational products. The Jones Knowledge Group oversees a number of products, including online learning software, digital libraries, licensed education and training content and a global accrediting body for government, academic and accrediting agencies to promote quality accreditation and learning standards internationally.

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Information Summary

Ranks 62nd in Colorado and 3977th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	25.3
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$14,080
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	100 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	20% / 25%
Enrollment Total (all students)	2,782

Academics

Jones International University is an online degree-granting institution in Centennial, Colorado. It awards certificates and associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The school is a for-profit institution founded by Glenn R. Jones in 1993. The school received accrediation from the Higher Learning Commission in 1999. It is also a member of the North Central Association.

The school now offers 47 degree programs in business and education.

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Admissions

Undergraduate Students

Applicants who want to attend Jones International University need to submit an application online. The requirements for a bachelor’s degree are either a high school diploma, GED certificate, or an associate’s degree from a college recognized by the United States Department of Education. For transfer students, credits are accepted from institutions of higher education, military and corporate training approved by the American Council on Education, national exams, international credits approved the school, and AP courses. International students are also accepted. They must have completed a secondary education program.

Graduate Students

For master’s degrees, international students must have a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA or higher. Doctorate programs require a master’s degree. There is also an early admissions program. For master’s degrees, students must have a 2.5 GPA and a bachelor’s degrees. There are additional requirements for people seeking master’s degree for K-12 Licensed Educators.

For students seeking a doctorate of business administration, they must have an MBA, a 3.0 GPA, a bachelor’s degree, and scored 400 or higher and 4 or higher on the GMAT total score and analytical writing score, respectively. They also must submit an essay, a resume and three recommendations. Those seeking a Doctorate of Education in K-12 Leadership must have a master’s of education, a minimum GPA of 3.0, a bachelor’s degree and a total GMAT score of 800 or higher, with a 4 or better on the writing portion. They must also submit an essay, resume and three recommendations.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

The school also accepts non-degree seeking students. Students are allowed to enroll in individual courses but are not allowed to take more than 10 courses at the undergraduate level and three at the master’s level. Students accepted in this program are not allowed to take doctoral classes or master’s of education K-12 classes, and they cannot receive financial aid.

Financial Aid

Jones International does not award school-based aid in a traditional sense. However, it employs a number of programs aimed at adult learners — the school’s target market. The school offers tuition scholarships and other benefits to organizations. For corporations, the school offers scholarships and specialized curriculum to meet training requirements for companies and organizations. The school also has an agreement with many community colleges that allows a tutition reduction for people who attend these schools but are also employed at certain companies.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 1177th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Colorado.

Students

Jones International University students average between 35 and 39 years old. The online institution enrolls students from 31 countries, all 50 states and Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. Half the students pursue graduation degrees.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Faculty

Jones International University faculty includes more than 150 professors, all of whom have either masters or doctorate degrees. Jones University faculty have an average length of employment of about 3 years. About 40 percent of the faculty has taught adult learners for more than 10 years, which is the main marketing segment Jones seeks to enroll. Since there is no campus, Jones International faculty live in different states and countries.

Additional School Information

Since Jones INternational Univesrtity is a completely online school, the learning process is very different from a traditional college or university where a student would at least attend a few classes in a classroom, and interact with students and faculty on campus.

Jones breaks each class up into weekly modules, where students complete an online instruction unit, readings, and contribute to forum discussion. Students are also sometimes required to write a paper or spend time on an individual or group project. The class assignments must be finished during the assigned week.

A unique feature of the online class is the online forum. Jones International University has students participate in a series of discussions in the forum. Faculty members guide the discussion while students post their comments whenever they have time. Since the class is entirely online, the program doesn’t require students to attend during certain times.

Based on the level of course, Jones does suggest students to spend a certain amount of time each week. For 100- 200 level courses, students spend 6-9 hours per week, for example. In 700-800 level courses students spend 16-19 hours.

Jones International University is authorized and licensed in Colorado and other states where it does business. However, it is not allowed to enroll students from Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee.

Despite not having a campus, Jones International has a bookstore. The virutal bookstore is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and supports the requirements of faculty and students even though the student population is spread out all over the globe.

Bibliography

Jones International University. Web. 27 July 2011.

Jones International online bookstore. Web. 27 July 2011.

Jones International University