Military Advanced Education Honors Education Management Corporation Schools as 2012 Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities

PITTSBURGH, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Military Advanced Education (MAE) has selected schools throughout all four of Education Management Corporation's (Nasdaq: EDMC) education systems for inclusion and recognition in their 2012 Guide to America's Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities.  http://www.kmimediagroup.com/topmil2012

Honorees are Argosy University, Phoenix, The Art Institute of Houston, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and The Art Institute of Pittsburgh — Online Division, The Art Institute of Seattle, Brown Mackie Colleges and South University.

This is the second consecutive year MAE selected both the Brown Mackie College family of schools, and The Art Institutes (Houston and Pittsburgh). Colleges and universities were selected to the list based on the various benefits they provide active-duty military members, veterans and their dependants.

"We are honored to once again be recognized by Military Advanced Education for providing curriculum and support programs that are devoted to serving military members," Lt. General John (Jack) Bergman, EDMC Military Liaison, said. "EDMC institutions are uniquely suited to serve the needs of members of our nation's military. The broad array of programs we offer provide active duty service members, reservists, veterans, military spouses and families the quality, flexibility, and convenience they seek through courses both on campus and online."

According to MAE, the 2012 guide is more comprehensive than ever before. Selected schools have met rigorous criteria and have truly earned the designation of "military-friendly." Among the attributes considered in evaluating this year's schools for inclusion in the guide are: on-campus active duty/veteran assistance, the sophistication and effectiveness of its distance learning programs, Servicemember Opportunity Colleges (SOC) participation, and the number of American Council on Education (ACE) credits the school will accept.

More than 8 percent of EDMC students are active military or veterans. Of that group, 35 percent pursue their degrees through online programs. Depending on a student's unique circumstances, online higher education can provide the flexibility of not having to be physically located on campus. Some programs even enable active military personnel to stay enrolled online while serving overseas and others may offer the opportunity to allow special start and stop accommodations that reflect the reality of soldiers and sailors finding themselves deployed in the middle of a course.

Military Advanced Education is the only magazine produced expressly for active duty/reserve servicemembers as well as members of the National Guard and veterans who are seeking to take advantage of the Department of Defense's education benefits.

About Education Management

Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.com) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue, with a total of 107 locations in 32 U.S. states and Canada. We offer academic programs to our students through campus-based and online instruction, or through a combination of both. We are committed to offering quality academic programs and continuously strive to improve the learning experience for our students. Our educational institutions offer students the opportunity to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and certain specialized non-degree diplomas in a broad range of disciplines, including design, media arts, health sciences, psychology and behavioral sciences, culinary, fashion, business, education, legal and information technology.

SOURCE EDMC