Bryan University offers 100% online classes in a career-focused environment. Every quarter helps prepare you for a specific career in one of six broader programs. In today’s blog from Bryan University, we examine what back to school is like for online classes.
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Online classes begin in 5-week cycles at Bryan University. That means there’s no traditional back to school time every fall in August or September. However, every 5-week period means you should prepare for a new set of courses to begin as you move towards a diploma or degree. Every month or so, you get to embark on a new adventure!
The most important supplies you need for online classes at Bryan University are a working computer, a stable internet connection, and access to your course materials. You might also find a comfortable chair to sit in for extended periods as you go over class notes, watch or listen to lectures, and research for your assignments. Consider a good set of earbuds or headphones to block out any extraneous sounds and distractions.
You’ll need strong time management skills to succeed at Bryan University’s online classes. Consider a calendar and appointment reminder so you can keep track of assignments and set aside blocks of time for your classes. Online calendars make it easy to track assignment due dates. Time management allows you to devote the right amount of time for each class without falling behind.
Traditional tools for taking online classes include a backpack for carrying your laptop if you want to head to a nearby cafe or library to listen to a lecture. A document organizer keeps your appointments in order, which means having pens and pencils at hand.
A good printer is useful for printing out your assignments, or class notes on paper. This gives you a chance to review your course materials when you want a break from your computer or you don’t have your laptop with you as you study.
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Bryan University’s 100% online classes are affordable, convenient, and let you learn in a safe and comfortable environment. We offer career-focused learning that puts you in the driver’s seat for your professional future. Call Bryan University toll-free at 1-855-862-0755 or enroll now to explore how you can elevate your career with online classes.
Bryan University’s School of Allied Health prepares you for a wide range of duties in the healthcare industry. Medical assistants serve in entry-level, frontline positions in a doctor’s office, urgent care, or clinic. Medical office assistants perform business and clerical work. Medical billing and coding specialists process medical codes and records to ensure accurate billing. All of these roles are part of allied health careers. Today, we explain what exactly allied health is.
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Allied health positions are outside of what you might think of as a traditional healthcare profession. Doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists encompass highly skilled and specialized medical practitioners. These clinical staffers also require advanced degrees and are licensed by state boards.
Conversely, allied health careers do not require years of advanced training. Depending on your state, you can step into an allied health career with on-the-job training, a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. Bryan University offers career-focused, 100% online classes for seven undergraduate programs in allied health.
Allied health covers as many as 60% of all healthcare jobs in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. These vital support persons assist clinicians, run offices, fill out paperwork, and ensure the accuracy of patient records. Without allied health professions, the U.S. healthcare industry falls apart because there’s no organization or people who serve as the go-between from patients to care teams.
Allied health workers are generally divided into three main groups of personnel.
Primary Care Workers. These people serve as frontline employees, and they’re often the first people patients see as they come in the door. Primary care workers are seen at hospitals, urgent cares, clinics, and doctor’s offices.
Diagnostic Professionals. Allied health employees who are diagnostic professionals serve as lab technicians, repair and maintain equipment, maintain stocks of medical supplies, and make sure technology runs properly.
Health Promotion. Health promotion workers improve the health of people in the workplace, such as offices or businesses. These staffers can organize workouts, well-being routines, and regimens for workers at offices, businesses, and other organizations.
Bryan University trains you for patient-facing or behind-the-scenes work. For example, a medical assistant might work in a clinic to check-in patients, take vital signs, and determine where a patient needs to go next. However, medical assistants may also function as administrative personnel for health insurance providers, clinical trial companies, and pharmaceutical companies.
Related Post: Want a medical career but need the flexibility of online classes?
Bryan University’s School of Allied Health prepares you for a wide range of careers in as little as 50 or 70 weeks, depending on if you want to earn a diploma or an associate degree. Call Bryan University toll-free at 1-855-862-0755 or enroll now to explore how you can elevate your career with online classes in allied health.
Looking to become a personal trainer or an aerobics instructor? You’re going to need a personal trainer diploma from Bryan University’s School of Health & Wellness. Gyms all over the country are looking for certified personal trainers, fitness instructors and aerobics instructors. In addition to that, becoming a private personal trainer can be a very lucrative business.
As you get your personal trainer diploma you learn about the physiology behind different exercises, how to work different muscle groups, and how diet affects the outcome of the exercise programs you implement.
You’ll learn ways to motivate your clients in one-on-one personal fitness sessions and the best ways to really help them achieve their fitness goals. Seeing your clients improve and knowing that their results are a product of your dedication to their health and well-being is rewarding in itself, but getting paid for helping people is also an awesome benefit of being a personal trainer.
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We start by making sure you have all of the skills necessary to be a professional personal fitness trainer. Here are some of the things we’ll teach you;
Our personal trainer diploma prepares you to pass your personal trainer certification exam. You’ll be ready to pursue a career as a certified personal trainer upon receiving certification.
If you want an idea of the career opportunities available to a certified personal trainer, search Google for personal trainer jobs. Take a look at the job search results from Indeed.com.
The personal trainer diploma can be obtained through our Rogers, Arkansas campus, our Springfield, Missouri campus, or you can get your personal trainer diploma online. Learn more about how easy it is to get your personal trainer diploma here.
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The short answer; As long as it takes you to complete the personal training diploma to study for a certification test and pass it.
Bryan University offers 100% online courses. You take the online personal trainer certification courses you work at your own speed. How fast you get certified depends on your dedication to your education and your time constraints.
When searching for right program to prepare him for his personal training certification, Donald McDonough had some doubts about his abilities as a student. He didn’t see himself as a natural learner and knew that if he didn’t find the right program, college would be a struggle.
McDonough isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, however.
Long before his dreams of obtaining certification in personal training took hold, he was meeting challenges on the field and in the gym. McDonough began playing baseball, softball and soccer as a young boy in Boulder, Colo., and he continued his involvement in athletics after moving to Missouri. In high school, McDonough began wrestling and even tried cage fighting before joining the army.
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McDonough’s early dedication to sports and fitness was a sign that a personal training certification might be in his future. However, despite his many athletic accomplishments, McDonough considered his biggest challenge to be in the classroom, not the gym.
McDonough had difficulty focusing in school and suffered from test anxiety, but he knew that if he wanted to establish his career as a personal trainer, he needed the right training. He decided that if he was going to one day train his clients to overcome their weaknesses, he needed to learn how to overcome his own.
McDonough knew he needed to find a school that offered a hands-on personal training program.
He didn’t feel that online courses were right for him. He was looking for a sense of community – like-minded individuals he could learn with. As someone whose family is the most important thing in his life, McDonough was also looking for a family of individuals who shared his passions and interests when deciding on a training program.
He found that family at Bryan University.
Learning never felt like a chore for McDonough while at Bryan University. He enjoyed each class and left feeling confident in the knowledge and skills he had gained while preparing for his personal training certification.
He attributes the students and staff at Bryan University for much of his success and knows he has formed lasting friendships while seeking his degree.
The personal training programs at Bryan University train students in motivation techniques, physiology, diet and lifestyles, with the goal of preparing each student to pass their personal training certification exam upon graduation.
Bryan University’s personal training programs focus on the following areas:
Many students, like McDonough, go on to obtain their Exercise Specialist Associate of Applied Science degree after earning their Personal Training Diploma, which provides additional training in the legal requirements of the fitness industry and more hands-on field experiences for students.
McDonough isn’t done learning and growing. His goals are to continue building his client base and learning about his field. He still sees Bryan University as a resource – despite having graduated – and says that even now, the instructors continue to provide support whenever he has questions.
When asked what he would say to someone considering Bryan University, McDonough’s advice is simple: “I tell them to go in and talk to the staff. They are friendly and welcoming. I tell them about my experience and how much I learned and enjoyed every second of it.”
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A Personal Training Diploma or Exercise Specialist Associate of Applied Science degree offered by Bryan University can be a great way to prepare for the personal training certification exam. And, what’s even better? It is clear from McDonough’s experience that there you can also gain great relationships and experiences at Bryan University. Ready to get started?
For more information about Bryan University graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed our programs, transferability of credits and other important information, please visit our Consumer Information Center.
Audra Widner knew from the time she was young that building self-confidence was a process that required effort and commitment. A self-described “bigger girl,” Widner struggled with accepting herself and feeling confident in her own skin. Little did she know, she would one day start a personal training career and dedicate herself to helping others feel confident.
After living in the same town for 11 years, Widner moved three times when she was in eighth-grade year. She attended a total of five schools during one school year. Though Widner identifies this time in her life as one of the most difficult periods she’s had to endure, she recognized it as an opportunity to discover who she was and what her passions were.
Widner knew she needed to build her self-confidence before she could make her mark on the world.
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At the start of high school, Widner recognized that if she didn’t lose weight, her health would suffer and her self-confidence would too. She began on a weight loss journey, eventually losing over 50 pounds.
While the physical transformation was rewarding, Widner experienced a transformation in her emotional well-being, which was the ultimate reward.
Widner had a desire to make a difference in others’ lives but knew she couldn’t fully give herself to others if she didn’t love herself first. Building self-confidence was the first step in Widner’s journey that would eventually lead to her to pursue a career in personal training at Bryan University.
Though health and fitness had become a part of her life, Widner had never considered a personal training career. It was her mother who saw an advertisement for the personal training programs at Bryan University and encouraged Widner to apply. She knew that she could help others embark on a similar weight-loss journey and build self-confidence with her support and encouragement, and she immediately knew Bryan University had the training program to prepare her.
When researching Bryan University, Widner was impressed by the small class sizes, the flexibility in scheduling and the helpful nature of the faculty and staff. Bryan University didn’t disappoint. “Everyone at BU was so encouraging,” Widner said. “The atmosphere couldn’t have been better. I loved every single moment of it and miss the friendships that were made, not only with the students but also the [instructors] and staff members. The small class sizes made it easy to learn and really understand each concept being taught.”
As a student at Bryan University’s personal traning program. Widner learned the science and techniques needed to help transform her clients’ lives, while also focusing on the compassion and motivation techniques needed to help her clients build self-confidence. She knows that after attending Bryan University, she has the optimistic attitude she needs for a personal training career and helping her clients make lasting change.
The Bryan University personal training programs aim to graduate students who can:
With this background, Widner knows that she can make a lasting difference in her clients’ lives. Her goal is to continue to encourage others and help others build self-confidence.
Widner recognizes the difference that Bryan University could make in the lives of others. When asked what she would say to prospective students considering enrolling at Bryan University, her answer was simple: “I would encourage anyone to go to Bryan University. I know life gets busy and pursuing education can be hard, but you can reach your goals. The positive atmosphere at BU makes wanting to attend school so much easier.”
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Whether reaching fitness goals or education goals, Widner recognizes her accomplishments as the key to building her self-confidence, and she has dedicated her life to helping others realize their potential.
Interested in the Personal Training Diploma program or Exercise Specialist Associate of Applied Science degree at Bryan University? Contact us today to learn more!
For more information about Bryan University graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed our programs, transferability of credits and other important information, please visit our Consumer Information Center.

An important thing for students training to become a medical assistant to learn is how to show compassion and empathy for patients. Medical assisting is a health care career that is all about helping patients and aiding the physicians and doctors who care for them. When working with people in the medical field, you need to master the art of being compassionate and empathetic about people’s personal situations and circumstances.
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As a student training to become a medical assistant, Brittany Dampier is no stranger to the heartache that comes with personal tragedy.
Dampier lost her fiancé, the father of her two children, just over a year ago. The experience of losing her fiancé at a young age gave Dampier firsthand knowledge of what many patients feel on the hardest days of their lives. After her loss, Dampier was forced to rebuild her life for the sake of her two children.
Dampier persevered when many other people would have given up.
Suddenly a single mother, she continued to work full time while caring for her children and pursuing her Medical Assistant Associate Degree at Bryan University. Dampier gives credit to her kids for giving her the strength to keep going. “They always pushed me on with their smiles and laughs,” she said.
The Medical Assistant program at Bryan University appealed to Dampier for several reasons. The five-week class schedule seemed less daunting than committing to a full semester of classes. She also felt that the structure of the program was better suited for a working mom.
Bryan University offers a range of allied health program options for students interested in entering the health care field. With two diploma programs, four associate degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Management and a Certified Nursing Assistant program, any student looking to become a medical assistant or start a career in health care can find a program that is right for them. Many of these programs also offer the flexibility of the hybrid learning option, which are convenient for working parents like Dampier.
In addition to the flexibility of classes, there is a wide variety in the type of jobs that can be obtained with a medical assistant degree. Medical assistants are employed by physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities. And there is a positive job outlook: in fact, employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is due to an aging baby boomer population who will require more and more preventative medical services. Medical assistants aid in these services by performing routine administrative and clinical duties. Additionally, medical assistants make a median annual wage of $31,540, or $15.17 per hour.1
Bryan’s medical assistant programs focus on graduating students who are compassionate, knowledgeable and prepared to take on an important role and become a medical assistant. The goal is for students to graduate with the skills they need to start a rewarding career in the health care industry.
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Dampier’s experiences pushed her to test her limits and taught her to treat every day as a gift. Dampier plans to put her life to good use, continuing her education to enhance opportunities for her family. She feels that she left Bryan University as a better person and has become stronger along the way, preparing her to become a medical assistant.
When asked how she feels looking back on her experience, Dampier had this to say: “No matter what, where or how, you can change your life for the better. I hit rock bottom and felt like I had nothing to lose after losing my kids’ father. Hard work and commitment does pay off in the end.”
Follow your dreams and apply to Bryan University today. Don’t forget to contact us if you have any questions.
For more information about Bryan University graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed our programs, transferability of credits and other important information, please visit our Consumer Information Center.

When Kelsey Frossard became a mother during her senior year of high school, she thought many of her dreams were no longer in reach. Frossard’s parents worked long hours when she was a kid, and she had firsthand experience of the challenges associated with being a working mom. She had dreamed of finding a medical assistant job or becoming a veterinarian, but after giving birth to her daughter she didn’t know how going to college would be possible.
Frossard had already completed half of a certified nursing assistant (CNA) course, but she quickly obtained a job in retail to support her family. She knew that retail wasn’t what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, but with the demands of being a working mom, it would be years before she would seriously consider continuing her education.
By the time Kelsey began researching schools, she had two children and was working full time. She knew that she needed to find the right fit if she was going to be successful.
Related Post: Brittany Dampier: A Better Life Through The Medical Assistant Program
Frossard’s journey to making her dreams a reality began with a visit to Bryan University. She was initially attracted to its size, as Frossard had grown up in a small town and knew that she would be most comfortable at a smaller college. She was looking for a program that would allow her to get to know her instructors and receive individual help if needed.
Her first visit sealed the deal. Frossard walked in not knowing a soul and by the time she left that day, she felt at home at Bryan University. The staff understood the challenges she would face as a working mom and took the time to help her consider all of her options. They helped her map out her schedule and explore options for how she would pay for her education. She enrolled in the Medical Assistant Associate Degree program that very day.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there. Frossard describes her time at Bryan University as one of the most challenging things she has ever done, but she also describes it as the best thing she has ever done. “No class you take in college is easy,” she said. Despite memories of late nights and a few tears over some of her harder classes, Frossard wouldn’t change a thing.
After obtaining her Medical Assistant Associate degree from Bryan, Frossard landed a medical assistant job at Adult Medicine and Endocrinology Specialists Clinic at the Cox Surgery Center in Springfield, Mo. After years of working retail, she feels blessed to have a schedule that better allows her to manage all of her responsibilities as a working mom, and gives her more time to spend with her kids.
Medical assistants—including certified nursing assistants—are often the backbone that keeps health care facilities functioning smoothly. At Bryan University, students are prepared to take on a variety of medical assistant job duties, including:
Being a working mom has helped prepare Frossard for a job that requires flexibility and multitasking skills. Her ability to manage various tasks at once allowed her to be a successful student while parenting. It wasn’t easy, but Frossard is immensely proud of her accomplishments.
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What advice would Frossard give to another working mom? She said, “The only person holding you back is yourself. Once you get the dream you want, you go after it and don’t let anything stop you.”
Go after your dreams and apply to Bryan University today. Feel free to contact us with questions.
For more information about Bryan University graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed our programs, transferability of credits and other important information, please visit our Consumer Information Center.
(Springfield, MO) Bryan University announced today the Medical Office Assistant program is now available to students desiring to complete the program through online education. The program, designed to be completed in 40 weeks, prepares students to sit for the Medical Administrative Specialist national certification exam and for non-clinical work in a medical office environment.
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“For the better part of two decades Bryan University has been offering allied health training to students. The advent of this program being delivered wholly by our online division is an adaptation to how we believe students are learning and preparing for careers,” said Michael Sowers, Executive Director for Bryan University Online. “We have had students at our ground campuses benefit from this 40-week diploma in an effort to gain career skills in a shorter period of time.”
The program features training in computer applications, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical law and ethics, basic insurance, medical billing & coding, and electronic medical records. Bryan University is a partner with the American Medical Technologists and this program prepares students for the national certification exam, Medical Administrative Specialist. “We serve students across the country who don’t live near a Bryan University campus and this program, having a 100% online option, allows us to reach more folks interested in entry-level health career training,” said Bryan University Dean, Dr. Jacquelyn Harris. “I have been working in clinics since 1992 and am proud that we are offering this program and of our relationship with AMT.”
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For more information about the online Medical Office Assistant program, Bryan University’s degree programs in allied health, or to request information about the university, visit www.bryanu.edu.

Personal trainers instruct their clients on how best to improve their physical fitness. If you love staying in great shape and helping other people achieve their fitness goals, then this career is a great option for you! A Personal Trainer Diploma from Bryan University can put you on the right path to a personal training certificate and a bright future in a rewarding career.
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Personal training courses cover a wide range of topics. You may start with basic recordkeeping and management classes to give you an idea of what daily life is like for a personal trainer. Then, move on to anatomy and physiology classes that teach you the mechanics of physical exercise and training. You also learn CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator. Dive into nutrition and wellness topics for a holistic approach to personal training on your way to earning a Personal Trainer Diploma.
National certification is an important part of demonstrating your expertise in the field and is a selling point with employers and clients. Bryan University is an ACE education partner and our Personal Trainer Diploma and Exercise Specialist Associate of Applied Science Degree programs are designed to prepare you for the certification exam.
After you earn a personal training certificate, you’re ready to start working in this rewarding field. Make connections with local employers, such as fitness gyms, while you’re in school. Gyms can update you with job opportunities and requirements as you progress towards certification. You could also start your own business, which is where business management and recordkeeping classes come in handy while earning your Personal Trainer Diploma.
Business opportunities include owning your own gym, having a mobile personal training service that goes to businesses and workplaces, or consulting with employers to create employee fitness programs.
A Personal Trainer Diploma at Bryan University prepares you for all facets of this career, and it’s done completely online over 40 weeks and four quarters. Personal training courses go through classroom theory and practical approaches to personal training. The ultimate goal is to guide you towards personal trainer certification. Contact Bryan University today to jump-start your personal training career!
Related Post: Courses – School of Health & Wellness