Southeastern University is a Christian institution in Lakeland that encompasses four colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Legal Studies, Christian Ministries and Religion and Education. Southeastern's semester-long Jerusalem Studies Center includes five weeks of field study in Israel. In addition to traditional, campus-based programs, Southeastern also offers a number of on-line programs for graduates and undergraduates.
Florida Technical College, a private, for-profit junior college, has three campuses in Florida, including one in Lakeland. It offers associate's degree and diploma programs in information technology, health care, paralegal studies and criminal justice. It is possible to earn a diploma in 32 weeks and a degree in less than two years at the college.
Warner University in Lake Wales is a private, Christian, liberal arts institution. It offers 27 majors in three schools: the School of Education, the School of Business and the School of Ministry, Arts and Sciences. At the graduate level, Warner awards master's degrees in business administration, education and management, which is an on-line program.
The University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland is the only polytechnic institution in Florida. It enrolls approximately 4,230 students a year in three colleges: Applied Arts & New Media, Human and Social Sciences and Technology and Innovation. USF Polytechnic awards baccalaureate and master's degrees. All programs are offered on campus, and a select few are available as on-line programs or a combination of both.
"U.S. News & World Report" deemed Florida Southern College in Lakeland the eighth best in its "Regional Colleges (South)" rankings for 2011. Florida Southern offers 50 majors and pre-professional programs that lead to bachelor's degrees, including horticultural science and sports management. Undergraduates can also design their own interdisciplinary majors. In addition, Florida Southern awards master's degrees in teaching, education, business administration and nursing.
Polk State is a community college with campuses in Lakeland and Winter Haven. Students can choose from 30 associate's in arts and 27 associate's in applied science programs, in addition to a bachelor of applied science in supervision and management. Polk State offers both traditional and distance learning programs.
Located in Babson Park, Webber International University, a private, independent institution, specializes in business education. It awards bachelor's of science and master's of business administration (MBA) degrees. Undergraduate majors include hospitality and tourism management, security management, finance and marketing. A pre-law track is also offered.