Career college officially announces Boise branch

A national career-oriented college system officially announced today that it plans to open a branch in Boise this fall. Brown Mackie College, which currently operates on 18 campuses in eight states, plans to begin enrolling students immediately and will hold its first day of class on Sept. 2.

The college will occupy approximately 26,600 square feet in the Blackeagle Center, a 42-acre business park at the intersection of Overland and Maple Grove roads, a block from where the Connector meets Interstate 84.

It will initially offer a number of bachelor of science degree programs, including business administration, criminal justice, legal studies and health care management. It will also offer associate of science programs in accounting technology, business management, criminal justice, health care administration, information technology, medical assisting, office management, paralegal studies and surgical technology.

The school will also offer diploma programs in accounting, business, criminal justice, medical assistance and paralegal assistance.

Paul Hiller, head of the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, has said that the college is estimated to bring 50 new jobs to Boise, noting that salaries for college instructors could range between $40,000 and $50,000.

The Brown Mackie system emerged out of the Kansas Wesleyan School of Business, which was founded in 1892, according to the college’s Web site. It was incorporated as The Brown Mackie School of Business in 1938 and eventually combined with other colleges into a unified system. The Education Management Corporation of Pittsburgh now owns the for-profit company.