Most major universities offer basic open water scuba as a credit
course. I got my NAUI OW at the University of Maryland six years ago as
a non-credit course (I was working there at the time). It was an
excellent class, meeting once a week for 10 weeks for an hour of
lecture and two hours in the pool. At Maryland, students got two credit
hours for course, which was not required for any major, although a
number of graduate programs, including aerospace engineering, used
divers all the time.

I know that the University of the Virgin Islands offers scuba, and I
think it's required there for the marine biology course. I don't know
much about other universities in the Caribbean, but I would suspect
most of them would  offer scuba for their students.

As for the content of the instruction, I don't think it's different
from regular shop-based instruction, in terms of "academic rigor." My
instructor at Maryland was one of the best in the mid-Atlantic region,
and sadly he's no longer with us. He demanded more than the minimum
from his students, and I would dive with anyone he certified. I can't
say that about some other instructors I've known.

Happy diving,

g