Meritus University will offer three degrees online
Apollo Group, known its Phoenix University, has been approved by the New Brunswick government to offer three degrees at a new university in Fredericton. The new, private Meritus University will offer bachelor’s degrees in business administration and information technology management and a master’s degree in business administration.
Although Meritus will be based in Fredericton, the university will offer its programs online. “We understand there is a value to Canadian education that transcends Canadian borders,” said Greg Cappelli, executive vice president of global strategy for Apollo Group. “Meritus University’s mission is to meet Canada’s growing demand for advanced education, while making Canadian education, which is highly-regarded internationally, accessible worldwide.”
In a press release, the company stated that New Brunswick was chosen for their next university because of its “positive regulatory and business environment.” Meritus will be the fourth private university in New Brunswick to offer online degrees, including University of Fredericton, Yorkville University, and Lansbridge University (which was shut down in B.C. last year for violating provincial law). Apollo Group is one of the largest publicly-traded education providers in the world, with schools in 40 U.S. states, British Columbia, Alberta, Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, and the Netherlands. The company trades on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange and its market capitalization is U.S.$8.4 billion. Apollo had U.S.$2.7 billion in revenues during the year ending August 31 2007. Phoenix University is the largest private university in the U.S.
The university is expected to be up and running later this year.