Online Degree Programs are Focus of $2.5 Million Investment

College students, are you interested in getting a degree online?  Find out which school is making a serious commitment to these programs.

The University of Missouri continues to experience record-breaking freshman classes, soaring enrollment growth and high demand for many degree programs on campus. In an effort to increase the accessibility of undergraduate and graduate programs, university officials are announcing that $2.5 million will be invested to enhance Mizzou’s online degree offerings. This past academic year, more than 9,150 students enrolled in online undergraduate and graduate courses, generating enough revenue to pay for the new initiative.

Jim Spain, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Interim Vice Provost for e-learning

“We’ve actually offered distance education courses for more than 100 years through correspondence classes and other ways as technology has enhanced our abilities,” said Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost for e-learning. “Now, we want to expand our current degree offerings so that students who are limited in their travel have an opportunity to obtain a Mizzou degree, while simultaneously offering additional course alternatives to students who are here with us on campus.”

Currently, MU has five undergraduate degree programs and 61 graduate certificate and degree programs that are either offered in part or completely online. The undergraduate programs include health sciences, respiratory therapy, radiography and the “RN to BSN” program for nurses. MU does offer more than 500 courses online, but students typically use these courses to satisfy a particular requirement in an on-campus degree program. Through this new initiative, Spain hopes to add 10-15 complete undergraduate or graduate degree programs by 2014.

The new programs will be developed, approved and taught by MU faculty, who will maintain authority over the curriculum. Funding for new programs will be distributed through an application process, with the maximum amount to be awarded set at $250,000 per program. The first awards will be made February 2013. The money will be used to help defray startup costs of developing the curriculum, including purchasing any hardware or software necessary to offer the courses.

“The intent of this investment is to expand the number of degrees that are available to all of our students,” Spain said. “We will only do this if we are sure we can maintain our academic outcomes. We are not going to sacrifice student learning and the quality of instruction. We’re taking advantage of technology to improve student learning outcomes and to make this more accessible.”