Aakers College has expanded its business offerings to include a bachelor's degree. The bachelor of science degree in business management is the first bachelor's degree offered by the college.

Aakers is a business college at 1701 E. Century Ave. It offers associate's degrees and diplomas in business areas.

The school begins offering the degree in July. People can take classes during the day, in the evening or online, campus director Jim Ihrke said.

"We try to teach solid critical thinking, so they can analyze and come up with solutions on an idea," said Carl Young, the director of the bachelor's degree program.

The program covers a broad range of business areas, including economics, accounting, marketing, business ethics and computer applications.

Classes are scheduled twice a week for day classes, once a week for evening classes or available online any time.

"They are able to maintain a career while going to school," Young said.

The college has between 350 and 400 students at a time, depending on the quarter. Students take an average of three classes. It can be a combination of day, evening and online classes to fit with work schedules, Ihrke said. The program was developed to help people advance their careers, he said. Some students have completed coursework toward a degree, but need to finish it to advance in their careers, Ihrke said.

The bachelor's degree meets the needs of business people, and the college is expanding in other areas to meet demand. It built a new addition for allied health classes. Construction finished earlier this year, and the school began using some of the rooms in April.

Now the college will be able to put to the extra rooms to use for two new programs that were approved Monday:massage therapy and medical laboratory technician. Some of the new rooms give them space for clinical work.

Aakers charges tuition per class, starting at $785 for 100- and 200-level classes and $955 for 300- and 400-level classes.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)