John S. DeJoy, Ph.D., Dean of Graduate & Adult Enrollment at Marist College joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Marist College.

Marist College offers five online master’s degrees in the fields of Business Administration, Communication, Public Administration, Technology Management, and Information Systems. Marist was the first institution in New York State to receive approval to place its MBA and MPA degrees fully online.

What is the typical duration of each of your programs?

The master’s degrees are typically completed in about two years.

What would you say makes Marist College programs different and better than other comparable online programs?

Marist’s quality and experience distinguish our programs. Marist has been offering fully online master’s degrees for approximately 10 years. Marist is a leader in technology and has a ten-year joint research project with IBM. Students in our Technology Management and information Systems degrees benefit greatly from our technological expertise. In addition, our Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and our MS in Technology Management degree are fully accredited by the AACSB.

How important would you say accreditation is when choosing an online college?

I believe accreditation is an essential aspect of earning a degree. The accreditation helps reassure prospective employers that the institution is meeting certain standards. Those standards flow through to the quality of the education. Marist is regionally accredited by Middle States. As mentioned in Question 3, our MBA degree and MS Technology Management degree are fully accredited by the AACSB, the world’s leading accreditor of business programs.

There is some debate as to whether or not online degrees are as worthwhile as traditional degrees. What steps does Marist College take to ensure that online students are receiving the same education that they’d receive in a classroom?

At Marist, we do not make a distinction between online and classroom based programs in terms of quality. For example, the faculty who teach in the online programs are the same faculty who teach in the classroom. The student’s transcript does not distinguish between online or classroom courses or degrees. In the admissions process, students apply to the degree, not the format. Therefore, students are admitted into the MBA program, for example. Then, they decided if they want to take online courses, classroom courses, or a combination of both. Therefore, Marist emphasizes the learning, not the format, in its efforts to ensure the same education.

What would you say are some of the benefits of earning a degree online rather than in a traditional classroom?

Many employers are looking for individuals who can communicate in a virtual environment. They need individuals who can do their job without necessarily being in the physical presence of coworkers. The online format provides students with a tremendous amount of practical experience in being able to accomplish group tasks in a virtual environment. Other benefits of the online format include: saving travel time and fuel expense, convenience and flexibility in completing most assignments, able to continue a travel schedule and not miss class.

Is financial aid available to students in your programs?

Yes. Marist offers financial aid and scholarships to qualified students.

Do you have any advice for students enrolling in online classes for the first time?

Please candidly evaluate yourself with regard to self-motivation and working with a computer. You will need to be highly self-motivated to be successful. Take advantage of any “tests” that may help you to evaluate your readiness for an online program. See if you can view a sample course or a demonstration course to get a feel for what online learning is like.

Talk to students who are currently in the program you wish to pursue.

What do you enjoy most about your position at Marist College?

I believe education is one of the greatest means of improving one’s station in life. Therefore, I feel I have been given a special privilege in helping to transform lives by making education accessible to those who wish to partake.

To Request more information about the distance learning programs available through Marist College, Go here to visit them online.

Thank you John, for sharing and participating in this piece for Online Degrees 2.0

That concludes our interview!

Jackie Crouch, RN, BSN & Technology Coordinator/Online Education at Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Science at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
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Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Bismarck State College.

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