Kansas University has its eye on military personnel for a menu of new courses to be taught in Leavenworth starting this fall.

Through the KU Edwards Campus, enrollees will be able to pursue graduate coursework toward a master of engineering in project management and a certificate in environmental assessment, according to KU. Students can also pursue courses for an online bachelor of general studies degree, envisioned to help soldiers and their families continue and complete their education even if they are transferred to another base.

Offerings are expected to expand in future semesters, and possibilities include homeland security courses and a nursing-to-bachelor’s degree, said Mike Denning, director of the KU Office of Graduate Military Programs and a retired U.S. Marine Corps Col.

photo by: Contributed Photo

Mike Denning, the director of Kansas University's Office of Graduate Military Programs. Photo courtesy of KU.

Denning emphasized that the new courses being taught in Leavenworth aren’t just for military personnel, however. They’re expected to attract Fort Leavenworth military families and civilians around the greater Leavenworth area.

“That’s the goal, to provide courses that are going to be desirable for the military but also for the people in the region as well,” Denning said. “We hope to continue to grow and expand and meet the needs both in the military installation and outside the military installation.”

Courses will be offered off-post at the new Fairfield Inn throughout the fall semester while the university finds a permanent location. For more details, including dates for upcoming information sessions, go online to gmp.ku.edu/ku-leavenworth.

“We’ve designed the enrollment process, access to classes and student services to work within the time frame of service members attending the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth,” David Cook, vice chancellor at KU Edwards Campus, said in a KU news release.

Denning said KU already has a standing partnership with the Command and General Staff College, offering two graduate programs on-post, a master’s in business and supply chain management and logistics, offered for the past eight years, and a master’s in global and international studies offered the past seven years. KU also provides language instruction there, Denning said.

KU’s strategic plan, Bold Aspirations, calls for reaching out and establishing meaningful partnerships with Kansas communities, Denning noted.

“The military community certainly fits that bill,” he said. “So this is definitely in line with our strategic goals and vision.”