Thomson Signs Agreemnt with Cardean University to Offer Online M.B.A. Degree
Thomson Enterprise Learning, part of The Thomson Corporation, the world’s
largest provider of corporate and professional learning solutions, today announced
that it signed an agreement exclusively to market and sell online education
courses from UNext’s Cardean University to major corporate clients.
With the addition of the Cardean courses to its portfolio, Thomson Enterprise
Solutions alone now provides Global 1000 clients with online learning programs
for all levels of the organization that lead to the attainment of a wide array
of degrees, including High School, Associate and now M.B.A. degrees.
Cardean collaborates with some of the world’s leading business schools – including
Columbia Business School, Stanford University, the University of Chicago Graduate
School of Business, Carnegie Mellon, and the London School of Economics and
Political Science – to develop courses that bring world-class education online,
meeting the unique needs of busy Global 1000 corporate managers and executives
by enabling them to pursue advanced professional development.
"Client input and market research revealed strong demand for world-class,
flexible and advanced learning programs for today’s fast paced executives who
simply can’t take time away from their jobs, lives and homes to expand their
formal education," said Alex Brnilovich, president and CEO of Thomson Enterprise
Learning. "This exclusive agreement with UNext to offer Cardean University
programs to business meets the needs of Global 1000 clients and adds a new dimension
to our suite of learning content. We are now the only provider delivering multiple
degree programs and meeting the complete scope of corporate learning needs from
technician to executive levels."
"Cardean courses are designed to facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge
and skills in an exciting and engaging environment and to meet the needs of
corporate professionals and executives who juggle multiple personal and work
responsibilities," said Andy Rosenfield, UNext chairman and CEO. "The
global reach of the Thomson organization makes it the best possible partner
to take Cardean’s product offerings to large business organizations that greatly
can benefit from our programs."
Cushing Anderson, Senior Analyst at IDC commented: "Thomson has already
demonstrated the capability to bring a multitude of learning delivery options
and services, providing exactly what corporations currently demand and will
demand in the future. The addition of the Cardean University courses and programs
extends Thomson Enterprise Learning’s value proposition by allowing global organizations
to aggregate an even broader range of learning needs with a single, established
provider."
The addition of the Cardean University program complements the already broad
range of Thomson Enterprise Learning’s business and professional development
courses for the corporate learning market. Course topics range from acquisition
decisions to assessing risk to courses on sales management and international
management. Combined with the complete range of IT courses for professional
and non-professional users, Thomson serves a complete spectrum of learning needs
for global organizations. Recent industry product awards include a "Top
Ten Training Product of the Year" for business and professional development
courseware and two Gold awards, one for Innovative Technology and one for Customer
Satisfaction for IT Courseware in the "Excellence in e-Learning" program
conducted by brandonhall.com and Online Learning magazine.
Cardean currently offers approximately 150 courses covering topics in accounting,
marketing, economics, e-commerce strategy and business policy. Credit or Mastery
courses, which articulate toward the Cardean MBA take up to 30 hours to complete
and provide in-depth knowledge in business subjects. Cardean’s Quantum courses
provide short, focused overviews of specific business topics and take roughly
2 hours to complete. Students in Mastery courses learn by doing, solving real-world
business problems with support from student work groups and faculty mentoring.
Cardean is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education
and Training Council and is authorized to grant degrees by the Illinois Board
of Higher Education.
About the Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation ( www.thomson.com), with 2001 revenues of $7.2 billion,
is a leading provider of integrated information solutions to business and professional
markets worldwide. Its Learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals,
learning institutions and corporations with products and services for both traditional
and distributed learning. The corporate Thomson Enterprise Learning represents
leading brands including NETg, Prometric, DBM, Course Technology and many subject-specific
market leaders. These businesses lead the corporate training industry with innovative
products and a full range of learning solutions incorporating Internet services
and interactivity, as well as computer-based training, instructor-led training,
mentoring, and text support. Thomson Enterprise Learning serves over 5,000 customers
worldwide including DaimlerChrysler, Northwest Airlines, Honeywell, Procter
& Gamble and Dow Chemical.
About UNext and Cardean University
Cardean University, a premier educational institution founded by UNext Inc.,
offers graduate courses and degrees in business, management and professional
development. Cardean collaborates with some of the world’s leading business
schools, including Columbia, The University of Chicago, Stanford, the London
School of Economics and Political Science and Carnegie Mellon, to bring business
education of high academic quality to learners worldwide through the Internet.
Advancements in cognitive science and technology are incorporated into Cardean
courses to provide a stimulating, interactive and a rewarding learning experience.
Cardean is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education
and Training Council and is authorized to grant degrees by the Illinois Board
of Higher Education.
Contact:
Thomson Learning
Adam Gaber, 203/425-1363