CHICAGO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Argosy University/Chicago and Argosy University/Chicago Northwest, previously the Illinois Schools of Professional Psychology (ISPP), has been approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to grant new degrees in business, education and psychology.

The Illinois Schools of Professional Psychology became a division of Argosy University when the new university was launched last September. The state's approval of the new degree programs paves the way for ISPP to officially change its name to Argosy University.

Argosy University/Chicago, located in Chicago's Loop, was approved to offer the Doctor of Education, Master of Arts in Education, Education Specialist degrees, and a Bachelor of Arts degree completion program in psychology. At the Argosy University/Chicago Northwest campus in Rolling Meadows, the school was approved to offer the Doctor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree completion program in psychology.

"This represents a significant advancement for Argosy University," said Campus President David Harpool. "We have been serving the Chicago community as ISPP for 25 years and the newly expanded degree program offerings in business, education and psychology, definitely complements our post-graduate psychology degree programs. By becoming part of a university, we are better able to offer current and prospective students a greater value for their investment, more specialized areas, and accelerated evening and weekend formats."

Argosy University is comprised of three institutions with a long-standing history of education experience. Under the Argosy University umbrella are the former American Schools of Professional Psychology, the University of Sarasota and the Medical Institute of Minnesota.

The Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Chicago was founded in 1976 as the original campus of the American Schools of Professional Psychology. A second Chicago campus was later added in 1994 in Rolling Meadows. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Associations of Colleges and Schools. The clinical psychology doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

In addition to the newly approved programs, the schools offer doctoral degrees in clinical psychology; postdoctoral programs in clinical respecialization; master's degrees in clinical psychology, professional counseling, and professional counseling with a specialization in case management.

Argosy Education Group, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Education Management Corporation (Nasdaq: EDMC), and the nation's largest for-profit provider of doctoral level academic programs, owns and operates Argosy University, with 12 primary campuses and six extension sites in 10 states; Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California; and Argosy Professional Services. For more information on Argosy University, visit the Web site at www.argosyu.edu . For more information on Argosy Education Group, visit the Web site at www.argosyeducation.com .

Education Management Corporation (http://www.edumgt.com ) is among the largest providers of proprietary post-secondary education in the United States, based on student enrollment and revenue. In addition to Argosy University, EDMC's Art Institutes offer master's, bachelor's and associate's degree programs and non-degree programs in the areas of design, media arts, culinary arts and fashion. Through ITI Information Technology Institute, EDMC offers a postgraduate education program at three locations in Canada, teaching students to apply technology to business problems. The Company has provided career-oriented education programs for over 35 years, and its Art Institutes ( http://www.artinstitutes.edu ) have graduated more than 125,000 students.

SOURCE Argosy Education Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Susan M. Crusoe, Director of Public Relations for Argosy Education Group, Inc., +1-312-279-3863, scrusoe@argosyeducation.com /