Tri-State gets new college: Online courses first; campus also in works.(University of Phoenix comes to Cincinnati, Ohio)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The University of Phoenix -- an upstart, for-profit school that has spread across the nation -- is entering the Cincinnati market with online courses and plans for a brick-and-mortar campus.

The university is advertising on job site Monster.com for a Cincinnati business development executive to create relationships with local companies for its online division.

Plans for an "on-ground" Cincinnati campus are also in the works, but an opening date is not set, said Rocky Sheng, vice president and campus director at the University of Phoenix Cleveland campus.

The university operates 107 campuses that serve 107,000 students. Another 33,700 students attend the online university.

Brian Mueller, vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Phoenix Online, said Cincinnati fits into the university's growth plans.

"We want to grow by 80 percent this year, and demand for online education is up throughout the country," Mueller said. The college also has plans for a Columbus campus.

The University of Phoenix Online, an offshoot of the University of Phoenix, offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and professional certificate programs in the fields of business, administration, accounting, management, technology management, information systems, education, counseling and nursing.