Whitworth University Launches Whitworth Online, Expanding Flexible Degree Pathways for Working Adults
Your Degree. Your Schedule. Your Purpose.
The launch of Whitworth Online comes at a time when regional employers across healthcare, education, nonprofit leadership and business are seeking professionals with degrees, while many Spokane-area residents have some college credit and could benefit from a clear pathway to finish their degrees.
“Whitworth has always believed that it’s never too late to earn a college degree – and that belief has guided our work with adult learners for generations,” President Scott McQuilkin says. “Whitworth Online allows us to meet working adults where they are, support local and regional workforce development, and help address the growing number of capable, motivated individuals who started college but were unable to finish. This is about access, opportunity and flourishing – for individuals and for our communities.”
Whitworth Online programs are intentionally designed for working adults. Curriculum across programs emphasizes practical application, ethical leadership and real-world relevance, while maintaining Whitworth’s hallmark academic rigor. Courses are structured to fit the rhythms of adult life, and students receive dedicated support services tailored to their needs – including academic advising, career support and personalized guidance from enrollment through graduation.
“For many adult learners, returning to school is not just an academic decision; it’s a deeply personal one,” says Brooke Kiener, dean of Whitworth Online. “Whitworth Online is built to support students holistically, recognizing the responsibilities they carry and the dreams they are pursuing.”
While Whitworth Online expands access nationally, it remains rooted in Whitworth University’s purpose to promote genuine flourishing through education that integrates intellectual depth, character formation and service. Moving program delivery for working adults fully online strengthens that mission by removing geographic barriers and opening Whitworth’s academically excellent programs to adult learners wherever they live and work.
Whitworth Online replaces the former Whitworth School of Continuing Studies name, reflecting both the evolution of program delivery and the university’s forward-looking vision for adult education.
To learn more about Whitworth Online, click here.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university has an enrollment of about 2,500 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
