Renovations are nearly complete at the former Brixton Square theater, 7101 NW Expressway, which will house the first local Brown Mackie College campus. Its campuses are found in 15 other states.

“Even though we have a lot of space here, we will probably outgrow it,” said Debbie O’Dea, campus president, of its 35,000 square feet. “We have worked with the landlord that we lease from to get first dibs on more space in the plaza when we need it.

“We have the ability to add and change whatever programs we need to meet the needs of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City,” she said.

With classes beginning Aug. 1, administrators will continue researching what the community’s demand is in the workforce, she said. As the process unfolds, more degrees will be added. So far, the six associate’s degrees offered include medical assisting, health care management, business management, office management, accounting and paralegal.

Brown Mackie is on a quarter system, where each semester lasts three months. The for-profit school is owned by Education Management Corporation, which also owns schools such as The Art Institutes, Argosy University and South University.

EDMC reported a 12.9-percent increase in its net income over the first quarter of last year. However, the U.S. Department of Justice alleges EDMC violated the Higher Education Act by providing commission, bonuses or other incentives to admission representatives based on success in student enrollment, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In the filing, the company alleges the allegations are false.

The average student is 30 years old, which according to O’Dea, ranges from high school graduates to 50-year-olds who are trying to change careers.

Brown Mackie also has a campus in Tulsa with a similar curriculum.