Southwest University (Louisiana)


Southwest University is a for-profit virtual college located at 2200 Veterans Boulevard in Kenner, Louisiana offering associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. The school does not operate under an academic calendar but instead allows students to enroll and begin coursework at will. Final examinations are to be proctored by someone who "holds a position of integrity" according to the university catalog.
Founded as a school of hypnotism the school now offers associates of science degrees in General Studies, Business Administration and Criminal Justice. Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in Business Administration, Human Resource Management, International Business, Leadership and Management, Management, Marketing and Organization Management. Masters of Science degrees are offered in Criminal Justice. Masters of Arts degrees are offered in Management and Organizational Management. Masters of Business Administration degrees are offered in Management and Organizational Management.

History

The organization was founded in 1983 by Reginald Sheldrick in Phoenix, Arizona as a Hypnosis school. In its early days, the school has been called a by reporters at the Arizona Republic who point to Arizona's minimal laws covering for-profit education and the pseudo-science nature of its field of study. In 2004, Southwest University moved from Arizona to Louisiana. The Louisiana Board of Regents recommended licensing the school at its committee meeting on March 26, 2014. Louisiana Statuate requires licensing but according to a board spokesperson an institute "cannot use that it is registered with the regents in its advertising or intimate that registration means the school is state-approved."

National accreditation

In 2004, there was a change in the school's management which dropped its hypnosis and hypnotherapy courses, replacing them with a business-focused curriculum. Later, online courses were introduced which saw the school gaining national accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Its adjunct faculty members hold PhDs and master's degrees from recognized schools. Currently, all degrees from Southwest University are recognized by the US Department of Education.