Expanded course offerings at the UALR Benton Center this fall will enable area teachers to advance their education, while remaining close to home.

Three master’s degree level courses in education and one senior level teacher education course will be offered at the UALR Benton Center. It is an enhancement that could lead to more Advanced Placement (AP) courses at local high schools, according to UALR Benton Center Board Chairman John Young.

Young said equipping teachers to lead more AP courses at local high schools has the potential to save enrolled AP students thousands of dollars in higher education costs as they are able to test out of required freshman-level college courses.

“This is an outstanding development for our teachers. I believe we already have some of the best teachers in the state, and this will only increase their value to area students and our community,” Young said.

Additionally, there will be an expansion in business courses to include finance, economics, accounting, management, and business information systems. These courses will complement the UALR Benton Center’s e-commerce degree and allow for a broader degree program, Young said.

The center’s first four-year degree program, e-commerce, has gained significant traction, with approximately 25 students enrolled. In fact, three Benton Center e-commerce students, Blake Ellison, Lela Chism, and Jennifer Walker, recently received 2014 Engineering and Information Technology Academic Achievement Awards.

These students also have made the Dean’s List with an overall grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

The UALR Benton Center is located at 410 River Street in Benton. For more information about registering for courses, call 501.860.6003 or email benton@ualr.edu.