Cottey College, located in Nevada, Missouri is a private, two-year women's college. It was founded by Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard in 1884 and is currently owned and supported by the P.E.O. Sisterhood, a philanthropic women's organization. Cottey College has traditionally offered only the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees. Starting in Fall 2011, Cottey will also offer Bachelor of Arts degrees in the following programs: English, Environmental Studies, and International Relations and Business. The new four-year degree programs are highly interdisciplinary, and students are encouraged to pursue a hybridized course of study that includes coursework from each of the three new programs. The new BA programs are housed in Cottey's Institute for Women's Leadership and Social Responsibility. For students pursuing an Associate's degree, the type of degree a student receives is based upon the core curriculum and distribution requirements she completes. Students choose subjects of their interest and/or intended major.