SALT LAKE CITY, Utah —  Three local residents have received their degrees from Western Governors University.

The online, nonprofit university held its commencement ceremonies earlier this year to celebrate the recent graduation of more than 15,000 students from across the country.

WGU has recognized 8,938 undergraduate and 6,734 graduate degree recipients, who have completed their degrees since Jan. 1, 2018. Their areas of study include business, K-12 education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. The average time to graduation for those earning a bachelor’s degree was 2 years, 4 months, while the average time to degree for graduate programs was 1 year, 7 months. The average age for those who graduated is 38 years old.

WGU pioneered competency-based education, which measures learning rather than time spent in class. Designed to meet the needs of working adults, students study and learn on their own schedules with individualized, one-to-one faculty support. They complete courses as soon as they demonstrate that they have mastered the subject matter, enabling them to move quickly through material they already know and spend more time on what they still need to learn. As a result, many WGU students are able to accelerate their studies, saving both time and money.

Earning degrees this spring were:

• Heather Lomax of Saco received her Master of Science in Nursing – Leadership and Management degree

• Julia Bemis of Saco received her Master of Arts in Science Education degree

• Jessica Hutchinson of North Berwick received her Master of Science in Nursing – Education degree.

Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves 98,000 students nationwide and has 110,000 graduates in all 50 states.

Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education.

In just 21 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times.

Learn more at www.wgu.edu.