Valley residents who want to pursue bachelor’s or graduate degrees don’t have to leave town to take classes with the presence of Northern Arizona University in Thatcher — on the Eastern Arizona College campus.

Max Phillips, the area coordinator for NAU, said NAU offers three types of class delivery — face-to-face, interactive television and online.

Two bachelor’s degrees — elementary education and bachelor of arts in liberal studies — are available in the face-to-face format. NAU offers 11 bachelor degree programs. There are seven to 10 master’s programs offered in person, online or via interactive televison, or in a combination of all three.

“With most of the programs, we count on Eastern Arizona College for the first two years,” Phillips said. NAU classes are set up so no EAC credits are lost.

The yearly “headcount” fluctuates between 110 and 150 students in face-to-face and interactive TV classes. Another 30 to 50 students take classes online.

“I’d say the average age (of local NAU students) is early to mid-30s,” Phillips said.

Tuition is $2,400 a semester for full-time in-state students. This is the lowest tuition of Arizona’s three state-supported universities. NAU offers an installment plan for students who cannot pay their tuition, Phillips said.

Classes are held in rented EAC classrooms or local schools, and part-time instructors are hired to teach.

“Of course, their background has to match what we want them to teach,” Phillips said.

Teachers of undergraduate classes must have a master’s degree while instructors of graduate classes must have a doctorate or a master’s plus significant experience, Phillips said.

The Thatcher facility is among 40 satellite campuses in Arizona. Phillips, a former NAU instructor, has served as the area coordinator for five years

For more information visit nau.edu or call 428-0344.