Oglethorpe: Where Great Minds Think and Do
Founded in 1835, Oglethorpe University enrolls around 1,500 students representing 37 states and 30 countries. OU’s commitment to helping busy adults dates back almost 150 years, as one of the nation’s first degree programs for working adults.
In 1870, Oglethorpe University offered the first evening classes in Georgia, and our Adult Degree Program continues this proud tradition. Our mission is to help the working adult earn a valuable education through a liberal arts curriculum customized to their individual needs. As an adult student you’ll help continue Oglethorpe University’s long traditions of enrolling intellectually curious, diverse, and driven students. At Oglethorpe, you will participate in interactive classes led by highly-qualified professors, and you will be challenged to think, write, argue, and discover your place in the community and the world.
Military Friendly
Oglethorpe is also proud to be a yellow ribbon school, offering tuition discounts to service members and veterans. Our students have the unique opportunity to form personal connections with their professors and their fellow students. Small class sizes allow adult students to benefit from thought-provoking discussion and have their voice heard in an atmosphere conducive to sharing and learning. Veterans can expect to share their class time with other adults who take their education seriously.
Veterans eligible for full benefits under the Post-9/11 VA Education Benefits pay ZERO tuition. We go above and beyond many other colleges to serve those who have served our country.
Oglethorpe offers a variety of resources to ensure an environment that is conducive to student success:
- Oglethorpe has been home to a student-led Oglethorpe Veterans Club and Auxiliary to ensure the quality of life of student veterans, family members, and alumni and pay remembrance to their sacrifices.
- The Student Success Center provides support services for all students, including academic advising, disability accommodations and writing assistance.
- Our on-campus Counseling Center offers a variety of individual, group, emergency, and outreach services designed to meet the specific needs of every student.
The Complete College Experience
As an adult degree student, all campus activities are available to you, whether you need tutoring to prepare for a final exam, a librarian to help you find a research article, or just a good cup of coffee before class.
The Stormy Petrels represent Oglethorpe in 16 NCAA Division III sports teams, with games that students can attend for free. Visit our athletics homepage GoPetrels.com to learn more about our sports teams. Students can also attend several free theatre productions each year, from Shakespeare to Hair. Need a snack or a drink before heading to class? Visit the Turner Lynch Campus Center, where you’ll find a Starbucks and dining hall to give you plenty of options for meals and snacks.
The Oglethorpe University Museum of Art is the only small liberal arts university museum in the entire Southeast which regularly shows nationally and internationally recognized exhibitions. In addition to the Museum’s impressive permanent collection of fine art, three originally conceived and curated exhibitions are held each year, featuring art work which is international, representational, figurative, and spiritual in nature.