Virtual College, Real Results: MU Prep’s Advanced Study Program Is Reimagining Dual Credit

Advanced study program offers dual credit classes from Marian University

At Marian University Preparatory School (MU Prep), high school students aren’t just preparing for college – they’re already in it.

Thanks to MU Prep’s Advanced Study Program, juniors and seniors can take real college courses taught by Marian University faculty – virtually and live – and earn both college credit and high school credit simultaneously. It’s a groundbreaking opportunity that fuses flexibility, affordability, and academic rigor into one powerful model.

“We’re the only high school in Indiana – Marian University Preparatory School – that is permitted to provide this kind of access through a virtual capacity,” said Executive Director Joseph Heidt.

Advanced Study Program – More Than a Traditional Dual Credit

Most dual credit programs rely on high school teachers with additional certifications. But MU Prep’s model flips the script.

“You’ve got a college professor, often many of them doctorate-based, teaching a course that just happens to count for high school credit as well,” Heidt said. “Truly taking college classes from a college professor, all virtually.”

These are not watered-down high school classes with college labels. Students log in to live, virtual college classes from anywhere and learn right alongside undergraduates with full support from MU Prep’s academic team.

Real Students, Real College Success

The program officially launched last spring with a pilot group of students, and the results were impressive.

“About 50% of our upperclassmen participated. Of those, they all did quite well. They all scored at minimum an A-minus,” said Heidt.

This fall, the school expanded from four courses to 10+ offerings, doubling the choices available and aligning many with Indiana’s high school graduation requirements.

“What we focused on were classes that also count toward your high school degree program,” Heidt explained. “Public speaking counts toward the state’s new diploma speech requirement. Writing and Community counts as English 12. Civics and Democratic Engagement fulfills government. Others — like American Sign Language, Intro to Sociology, or General Psychology — fulfill elective or additional subject areas.”

Affordable, Accessible, and Designed for Impact

At just $25 per credit hour, a typical 3-credit course through the Advanced Study Program costs only $75, a huge discount from normal tuition.

“If you’re a part-time student at Marian University taking one to 11 hours per semester, you’re paying $1,825 per credit hour,” Heidt said. “You’re talking $20,000 versus $800. This is an enormous opportunity.”

MU Prep students can take up to 36 credit hours through the program which could equal a full year of college completed before high school graduation.

“Our goal is for all our students to have college credits as they graduate,” said Heidt. “Many could easily wrap up a semester, if not a year, of college by doing this.”

Breaking Down Barriers for All Learners

For Heidt, this program is about more than academics — it’s about equity and belief.

“What we saw was when students participated in a class taught by a college professor, 100% of those students went on to college. The students that took those courses realized, ‘I can do it.’ It took the fear away — the ‘what if.’”

Many students in past programs Heidt led came from underserved communities.

“Families we served were all federal free and reduced lunch students… Usually less than 10% would go to college. But by giving them that exposure, the opportunity, they were like, ‘Hey, I know I can do this.’”

This same spirit drives MU Prep’s mission today: helping students not just imagine success but experience it.

Seamless Scheduling, Serious Savings

One of the biggest obstacles in traditional dual enrollment programs is logistics: traveling to campus, working around high school schedules, and balancing responsibilities.

MU Prep’s all-virtual model solves that.

“We can provide all Marian University Preparatory students a clean, smooth schedule,” said Heidt. “You take your high school courses, and you take your college courses – all live, virtually – and you save around $20,000.”

The Bigger Picture

MU Prep is part of Marian University, a top-ranked Catholic university and one of only two institutions in Indiana that offer medical degrees alongside other disciplines like engineering, business, education, and the liberal arts.

“We offer a plethora of opportunities and want to ensure they are available to students at the high school level,” Heidt said.

With its first graduating class now behind it, MU Prep is expanding fast, offering not just high-quality K–12 education, but a concurrent college experience with the support and structure that helps students thrive.

“It’s a huge opportunity for our students,” Heidt said, “It’s just huge.”

To learn more about Marion University Preparatory Academy and the Advanced Study program visit www.muprep.k12.com.