Phil Turner, Vice Provost for Learning Enhancement at the University of North Texas joins us today to discuss distance education.

Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at University of North Texas.

We currently have 31 completely online degrees and certificates, including three completion bachelor’s degrees in General Studies, Organizational Development, and Applied Technology and Performance Improvement. We also have an MBA in Strategic Management available, as well as numerous Masters degrees and Graduate Academic Certificates available online.

Our newly created QEP/Next Generation courses are an exciting addition to the more traditional online course. UNT is in the third year of a seven year journey to transform large enrollment undergraduate courses by engaging and enabling faculty members to design, apply, and assess innovative instructional techniques. QEP’s goal is to improve student learning through engagement with the subject matter, with the faculty and with each other.

What is the typical duration of each of your programs?

Typically the programs follow the semester schedule — with a few courses beginning or ending at mid-semester.

What would you say makes University of North Texas programs different and better than other comparable online programs?

1) QEP/Next Generation Courses — improving undergraduate large-enrollment courses. You may learn more about these courses at http://web3.unt.edu/cdl/QEP/

2) We currently work with various institutions to offer our courses through a variety of programs: Project SAIL, Western Governors University, The Sloan Consortium, JERGroup, SREP Electronic Campus, Texas Distance Education and various other repositories of online courses.

3) Offer “blended courses” — technology rich courses with online/on-campus meetings.

4) Several of our Masters Programs use an innovative approach that combines geographically-based onsite Web “Institutes” with online courses and virtual community-building opportunities. As an example, the School of Library and Information Sciences programs at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the University of Minnesota and Emory University.

5) We offer “award winning” courses designed to encourage interaction between students and faculty.

6) UNT’s online degree and transcript do not say “distance learning.”

7) UNTeCampus offers information for labs and face-to-face requirements.

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

Very — UNT is the largest provider of online credit courses among Texas public universities. A diploma from UNT means something, whether one is considering online education or a more traditional educational route. All of UNT’s degree programs that are online are accredited by regional and special accrediting agencies.

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

UNT’s online degree programs go through the same accreditation process as their on-site counterpart. UNT is proud of the rigor of its online degree programs. These courses are reviewed and approved before they are offered to students. These courses are not easier than face-to-face courses, in fact, they often require more discipline and technical skills than courses held ON CAMPUS. Online courses are very interactive — with the instructor and with other students. This interaction is valuable in demonstrating knowledge and understanding concepts.

Another way we demonstrate the equality of our online courses — UNT’s online degrees and transcripts do not say “distance learning” — they carry the same credit, the same weight, as our more traditional courses.

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

Some of the benefits of online courses are:

1) the increased ability to interact with fellow students and faculty, 2) access to a wide range of content not bounded by the physical space of the institution, 3) the flexibility to work around job and family schedules, 4) one can travel and still work toward educational goals, 5) no commuting (save gas AND time by “commuting online”), 6) for those in the military — they don’t have to put their education on hold.

If a student enrolled in one of your programs was interested in finding an internship in their field in their area, do you have any means of assisting them in acquiring an internship position?

YES — UNT’s Cooperative Education and Internships “Academics at Work” program integrates classroom theory with work experience specific to a student’s major. The primary focus is to give students a broader educational experience through work. Many times, these positions can also lead to full-time employment upon graduation. http://www.unt.edu/coop/

In addition, programs work with professionals “on the ground” throughout the areas where our students reside to set up internships as well as to supervise the students in these internships.

Does University of North Texas offer any job placement services to your students and graduates?

YES — UNT’s Career Center is available to online students. Through this portal, information regarding employment, internships and career services such as resume writing and interviewing skills are made available to all students of UNT. http://careercenter.unt.edu/

Is financial aid available to students in your programs?

YES – financial aid and scholarships are available to online students as well as more traditional ON-CAMPUS students. http://essc.unt.edu/finaid/

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

A few things to remind students that are wanting to sign up for online courses: 1) These courses usually fill up the quickest — so register early, 2) be sure to sign in the FIRST DAY of CLASSES because they can be dropped for non-attendance, and 3) DSL or a cable connection are probably the best types of internet connections for these courses, 4) be aware that an online course will be as rigorous or even more rigorous than an onsite course so block out three hours of dedicated time for each semester hour of coursework and “clear the decks at home or work” to be sure that you succeed.

What do you enjoy most about your position at University of North Texas?

For the past 11 years, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of wonderful people to create the infrastructure to transform teaching and learning that is one of the best in the world. I have seen faculty repeatedly think outside the box to create amazing online learning and blended learning opportunities. Finally, I have had the chance to design and teach my own online courses as well as to lead the creation and delivery of an online program that is now the second largest in the nation and the best!

To Request more information about the distance learning programs available through University of North Texas, Go here to visit them online.

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

That concludes our interview!

Herbert E. “Buddy” Muse, Jr., Ph.D., Distance Learning Associate Director for Research and Innovation at Montgomery College joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Montgomery College.
Distance Learning has been practiced at Montgomery College for about 30 years, starting out with courses on television. Courses were added, mostly noncredit ones using videoconferencing with other community colleges in Maryland.
In 1989, Montgomery College won a U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant for the installation of a computer conferencing system, the forerunner to today’s online courses. Innovative College faculty first developed online courses in the mid 1990s.
Today, the Montgomery College’s Office of Distance Learning supports over 110 online courses and more than 100 … | Read the rest of this entry »

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 … | Read the rest of this entry »

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.
Several of the colleges on the UCCS campus offer distance (online) learning programs.
These include:
College of Business

Distance Master’s in Business Administration

Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences :

Individual Allied Health Certificates offered in cooperation with Gatlin Eduction
RN-Refresher Course (for licensed RN’s who have been inactive)
RN-Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Master’s of Science in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (a clinical based doctorate)

College of Education

Early Literacy Program
Principal Licensure & MA Program
English as a Second Language Program
Educational Technology Certificate
Gifted … | Read the rest of this entry »

Gordon Drummond, Chief Learning Officer at Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design joins us today to discuss distance learning.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Sessions Online Schools of Art and Design.
Sessions is an online school of the creative visual arts. We offer courses and certificate programs in graphic design, Web design, multimedia, digital arts, business marketing design, and game art. Our students are typically adult learners aged 25-40 starting a career as a designer or digital artist. The certificate program is focused, flexible, and creatively challenging. Students build a portfolio of creative work as they progress through the program, getting feedback from a faculty from design professionals.
What is the typical duration of each of your programs?
The Sessions certificate programs are … | Read the rest of this entry »

Merodie A. Hancock, Vice President & Executive Director for Central Michigan University’s Off Campus programs joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Central Michigan University.
Central Michigan University offers Bachelor’s, Masters and Doctoral programs in the Online environment.
A major goal of Central Michigan University is to provide academic programs for students whose career or personal circumstances limit their access to traditional forms of higher education. In keeping with this goal, we strive to deliver high quality, fiscally sound, and responsive-to-market programs to adult learners. We are committed to education as a lifelong process that extends beyond traditional academic learning. We provide opportunities for adult students to achieve their individual education goals for personal growth … | Read the rest of this entry »

Deb Gearhart, PhD, Director of Troy University eCampus joins us today to discuss their distance education programs.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Troy University eCampus.
Troy University’s eCampus currently offers 17 degree programs in 2-year, 4-year and graduate degrees, listed below:
Undergraduate degrees offered:
Associate of Science in Business Administration
Associate of Science in General Education

Business Administration
Applied Computer Science
Political Science
Criminal Justice
History
Physical Fitness
Psychology
Sociology

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

General Business
Management

Bachelor of Science in Applied Science and Resource and Technology Management
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science in Fitness Management
Bachelor of Science in Political Science
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Bachelor of Science in Social Science

Graduate degrees offered:
Master of Business Administration
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Master of Science in Human Resource Management
Master of Science … | Read the rest of this entry »

George Barnes, Director for the Global MBA Online program, School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas joins us today to discuss their program.
Tell us about the Global MBA Online program (GMBA), in the School of Management, at The University of Texas at Dallas.
The Global MBA Online is an online extension of the 53-hour Professional (part-time), campus-based, MBA program. As such, courses are drawn from the same curriculum, are taught by the same full-time faculty, and are offered each of three semesters/year.
What is the duration of the GMBA program?
As an extension of the part-time program, GMBA students proceed at their own pace. Taking 2 courses each semester would permit completion in just over 3 years. A student must complete the … | Read the rest of this entry »

Donald K. Zahn, Associate Dean at University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.
In 1998, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater became the first AACSB accredited school to offer a fully asynchronous online MBA program. Over the years, the technology and methodology has continued to evolve. At present you can earn an MBA entirely online with an emphasis in Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management, Operations & Supply Chain Management, IT Management or Technology and Training. Students can choose to combine traditional classes with online classes to complete their MBA

What is the typical duration of each of your programs?
Full-time students (9+ credits in a term) can … | Read the rest of this entry »

Shelley B. Dixon, Director of Outreach, Center for Distance Learning at Empire State College joins us today to discuss distance education.
Tell us about the distance learning programs offered at Empire State College.
Empire State College of the State University of New York (SUNY) offers associate and bachelor’s degrees entirely online through the Center for Distance Learning in each of 11 areas of study (The Arts; Business, Management and Economics; Community and Human Services; Cultural Studies; Educational Studies; Historical Studies; Human Development; Interdisciplinary Studies; Labor Studies; Science, Mathematics, and Technology; and Social Theory, Social Structure and Change). Within each area of study, students customize their own unique concentration (or major) according to their needs and college requirements.
What is the typical duration of each of your programs?
Associate degrees … | Read the rest of this entry »