City University of Seattle Offers Accelerated Pathway for Banking Employees to Earn Business Degrees

City
University of Seattle is offering a credit alignment program for
banking employees that substantially reduces the cost and time to
complete a business degree. City University of Seattle is the first and
only university in the state to align the American Bankers Association’s
(ABA) professional development training, offered nationwide to banking
professionals, into industry-relevant degree programs. Through a unique
partnership with the ABA’s regional association, City University of
Seattle is providing university credit for forms of banking education
provided by the Washington Bankers Association (WBA). The credit
alignment program aligns with the University’s mission to support
workforce development through education.

The banking finance sector consists of 1,741 bank branches, which is 2.5
times the number of Starbucks in Washington state, according to data
compiled by the WBA. With 83 WBA-member banks representing 88,000+
direct and indirect employees, the credit alignment opportunity has the
potential to contribute significantly to local economies by encouraging
ongoing professional and leadership development in the financial sector,
while addressing retention and advancement opportunities. In addition to
credit alignment that can reduce the time to degree completion by as
much as a year, employees from affiliated banking associations will
receive a 15 percent tuition scholarship toward a degree at City
University of Seattle. To learn more, visit info.CityU.edu/partnerships/wba

“We are pleased to give banking professionals an opportunity for
professional development that can help them complete a business degree
or MBA, or even a doctorate in business administration,” said Randy C.
Frisch, President of City University of Seattle. “We believe that this
program will help recruit and retain leaders in the financial sector. It
is a tremendous opportunity for a young professional to grow quickly in
the finance field.”

City University of Seattle is an affiliate of the National
University System, a network of accredited nonprofit, private
universities that is expanding its nationwide effort to assess prior
training and education, which includes identifying competency-based and
prior-learning approaches. National University System higher education
institutions, which include National University, City University of
Seattle, John F. Kennedy and Northcentral University, have established
credit policies and workforce partnerships, many of which include a
scholarship component, with Boeing, YMCA, and numerous public safety
agencies.

“The National University System, though each of its affiliated higher
education institutions, is dedicated to creating academic pathways that
offer our lifelong learners opportunities to advance their professional
goals,” said Chris Graham, Vice Chancellor of External Relations for the
National University System. “We are very pleased and excited to support
this partnership between City University of Seattle and the Washington
Bankers Association.”

Currently, the credit alignment through City University of Seattle and
the ABA has identified 20 ABA courses that can be applied toward the
following business degrees at City University of Seattle: Master of
Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Management and an Associate

“Known for leading the banking industry as a premier provider of
advocacy, education and services, WBA is proud to provide this exciting
opportunity to our employees,” said Glen Simecek, President & CEO of the
Washington Bankers Association. “Through this program, we hope to bring
tremendous value not only to our employees, but also to the communities
of our financial institutions, family-owned and community-banks.”

City University of Seattle has served the non-traditional student for
over 40 years with programs that are uniquely geared to address the
needs of working adults by combining the academic rigor of top-tier
graduate programs with the convenience of a flexible format.

About City University of Seattle

City University of Seattle is a private, nonprofit university dedicated
to serving working adults and transfer students. The university is
accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
through the doctoral level and offers more than 60 online, onsite and
performance-based programs. CityU’s primary campus is located in
downtown Seattle, Washington, and the university has multiple sites
throughout Western Washington, Canada and abroad. Cityu.edu

About WBA

Washington Bankers Association (WBA) was founded by bankers in 1889 and
was incorporated in 1970. WBA represents commercial banks operating in
every county of the state, ranging in size from large multi-state
financial institutions to smaller, family-owned and community-based
banks. More than 97 percent of all commercial bank deposits in the state
of Washington are held in WBA-member banks.

About the National University System

National University System was established to meet the emerging
challenges and demands of education in the 21st century. The System is
uniquely aligned to connect a diverse population of students to a
network of innovative educational programs that are relevant to their
lives, careers, and the marketplace and are delivered in a format that
respects competing life priorities. The affiliates of the System include
National University; John F. Kennedy University; City University of
Seattle; Northcentral University; and the Division of Pre-College
Programs. The System also includes the national Sanford Programs:
Sanford Harmony and Sanford Inspire, which provides educators with
comprehensive lesson plans and activities to support PreK-12 student
development and success; and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy,
which offers educational and training programs for frontline nonprofit
fundraisers. For more information, visit nusystem.org.

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