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'Florida Metropolitan University' is a system of for-profit universities in the state of Florida in the United States. They offer career college programs, as well as a Graduate School of Business which offers a Masters of Business Administration and Masters degree in Criminal Justice.
The schools are owned by Corinthian Colleges International, Inc.

Contents

Accreditation

Licensure, approvals, and memberships

Controversy

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges

References

External links

Accreditation

The University is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award Associate's degrees, Bachelor’s degrees and Master's degrees. However, Florida Metropolitan University does not currently hold 'regional' accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Consequently, many regionally universities in Florida and other states have declined to accept transfer of FMU's credits.^[1]
[2]

Licensure, approvals, and memberships

The University is a nonsectarian, coeducational institution with authority to confer associate, bachelor, master degrees and diplomas. The University is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education.
Undergraduate and graduate programs are approved by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization and by the Florida State Approving Agency for Veterans Training. All campuses are members of the Career College Association.

Controversy

A class-action lawsuit was filed against FMU in Broward County, Florida in 2004 alleging that they misrepresented their accreditation to potential students during the admissions process, specifically, ensuing them that FMU's credits would transfer to regionally accredited schools. The enrollment contracts had a arbitration clause, thus the case was sent to arbitration and eventually dismissed. The arbitrator stated that contract and catalog had language stating that the school could not guarantee that the credits were transferable. This language trumped the allegations of many students and former employees that students were told verbally that the credits would transfer.^[3] In December 2005, the Florida Attorney General opened up an investigation of FMU's recruitment practices.^[4]

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges

FMU Jacksonville and FMU Lakeland are members of SOC (Servicemembers Opportunity College) Consortium. SOC Consortium colleges and universities are dedicated to helping service members and their families get college degrees. Military students can take courses in their off-duty hours at or near military installations in the United States, overseas, and on U.S. Navy ships.

References

1. ''A Battle Over Standards At For-Profit Colleges'' Wall Street Journal, October 3, 2005 by John Hechinger
2. ''Bad Education'' Orlando Weekly, April 4, 2005 by Jeffrey C. Billman
3. ''Corinthian Colleges Reports Favorable Arbitration Award in Satz Case - Arbitrator Finds in Favor of Company on All Counts'', U.S. News and Reports, January 23, 2006, Edited by Christopher Simmons
4. ''State Looking Into FMU Practices'' Tampa Bay Tribune, by Thomas W. Krause, December 30, 2005.

External links

★ Florida Metropolitan University website

★ FMU Student Blog

★ FMU Online