Back to school. Those three words usually conjure up images of backpacks, yellow school buses and gleeful parents.

But when the parents are the students, those three words can mean the onset of serious angst as these "non-traditional" students struggle to fit higher education into their already hectic lives. Of particular concern is the time involved in traveling to and from a college campus.

La Roche College, with its main campus in the North Hills, has found a way to make college fit into the lives of adults who live in the Pittsburgh suburbs, in Butler and beyond. With branch campuses in Cranberry Township and, now Lawrence County, La Roche is meeting a need for adults who want to reach their educations goals by enrolling in certificate programs, undergraduate programs or master's programs.

"When you live and work in the growing area north of Pittsburgh, it's only natural that you want to keep your activities focused near there," said Judy Dahlbeck, assistant director of off-campus programs at La Roche.

"At Cranberry Woods and the Lawrence County Learning Center, we have two venues that will help adult students earn their degrees close to home."

The Cranberry Woods location is off Route 228 near the Pittsburgh Marriott North. At this location, La Roche offers a master of science in human resources management; a human resources professional certificate program; and the LEAD program, Leadership and Administrative Development. This program is for adults who may have begun their college degree previously and, for whatever reason, did not finish.

At the Lawrence County Learning Center, adult students may pursue degree completion programs in psychology and LEAD.

Regardless of location, La Roche works with students to transfer as many credits as possible that they earned in the past.

"We work with adults very closely on their goals and their study programs because we know they have a lot going on in their lives outside of the classroom," said Hope Schiffgens, director of graduate studies and adult education at La Roche.

To view open house dates or obtain information on La Roche College's campuses visit www.laroche.edu/graduate.