Bismarck, ND--The University of Mary was among 30 schools included in Military Advanced Education (MAE) magazine's 2007 listing of Top Colleges and Universities for members of the military service. The MAE listing is an annual review of colleges and universities that are "significant players in military education," with "military friendly" qualities and programs and policies that are beneficial to the military community. The University of Mary is the only school listed from North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana, and one of the select few universities in the Midwest to earn the national recognition.

The University of Mary grants graduate study scholarships to active duty military or National Guard students for both on-site and online studies. Grand Forks Air Force Base and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and Fort Riley, an Army base in Kansas, are among the primary military communities U-Mary currently serves. The University of Mary's School of Accelerated and Distance Education's 16 sites in six states include an on-base classroom on Fort Riley's main post, where U-Mary is a member of Fort Riley Education Services Consortium of Colleges and Universities.

The convenient location, once-a-week classes and "facilitators who understand the military workplace and workloads" are among the advantages of the U-Mary program cited by Captain Paul Smith, U.S. Army, one of the first to receive his MBA at the Fort Riley site in 2006. "It was flexible and individualized. When I was sent to Kuwait for three weeks, I was able to take one of my courses as an independent study, keeping me on track to get my MBA in 15 months."

Military Advanced Education is a publication dedicated to providing senior and mid-level military officer subscribers with up-to-date information associated with service members' educational needs and helping them select which "military friendly" educational institutions can provide the degree programs and certificates that can help to advance their careers.

"We are honored to be recognized by our inclusion in MAE's listing for our efforts to make quality college education a good fit with the current needs and future goals of individuals in the military," says Brenda Kaspari, School of Accelerated and Distance Education director.

The University of Mary has enjoyed continuous accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1969. Building on its almost 50 years of leadership in adult education, U-Mary continues to expand its opportunities for adult education through its School of Accelerated and Distance Education with undergraduate and graduate programs offered on-site and online. The online MBA programs offered by the University of Mary's School of Accelerated and Distance Education were recently rated among the Top 40 "Best Buys" in their class by GetEducated.com, an online clearinghouse.

For information concerning the University of Mary's School of Accelerated and Distance Education programs for members of the military community, call (701) 232-7088 or toll-free (877) 868-6279 or e-mail sade@umary.edu.