personnel and more than 200 Bermudians at the US Naval Air Station, could be moving to Hamilton.

Webster University of St. Louis, Missouri, has sites on military bases across the United States, Europe and Bermuda.

Up until this year, it has provided military and non-military graduates with the opportunity to complete master's degrees in accountancy, financial management and human resources development.

More than 400 students have graduated from the NAS Bermuda branch -- 65 percent of them Bermudians.

But the closure of the Base has jeopardised the future of the university as well as that of the University of Maryland and the City Colleges of Chicago -- also housed at the Base.

Yesterday, 45 Webster students were due to receive their masters degrees at the last graduation ceremony to be held at the NAS chapel.

However Webster's local director Ms Dara van Dyke is confident that the university will agree to establishing a permanent college in Bermuda outside the base.

If this request is granted, Ms van Dyke hopes to offer a full programme by next October.

"We are pleased with our relations with Bermuda,'' she said.

The two-man operation is presently searching for Hamilton office space after Government turned down a request to allow the operation to remain on Base land.

Nevertheless, Ms van Dyke claims Hamilton's more central location will prove a better alternative for students who attend the evening classes after work.

"We would like to be more central,'' she said. "The course caters to mostly professionals therefore it would be more convenient to be based in Hamilton.'' And a degree in international business could soon be a new addition to the curriculum.

The course, which has proved extremely popular throughout the United States, has never been offered here before, she says.

"International business is important to Bermuda and the economy,'' she said.

"International business is touching everybody and more and more people are working in it. It will be of vast benefit to everyone in Bermuda.'' Classes are scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 9.45 p.m. two nights a week.

Further information is available by calling 293-6343 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.