Earning a University of Missouri degree or certificate from home is getting easier as MU continues to expand its online offerings. The university will launch 16 online programs in response to the demand for increased online learning opportunities and a more highly educated citizenry.
On Feb. 8, MU officials announced a $2.2 million investment intended to increase access to higher education and enhance the number of graduates in specific industries.
Areas of study covered in the new initiative include hospitality management, public administration, nursing, education, energy efficiency, geospatial intelligence, public health, interactive media and health communication. The programs will be developed and taught by MU faculty.
“We are pleased to begin offering online programs in these in-demand subject areas,” MU Provost Brian Foster said. “Producing graduates with the skill sets and preparation needed to advance these industries is at the core of our mission at the University of Missouri.”
MU also is investing in more than 25 new undergraduate online courses that will make it possible to earn a bachelor’s degree from a distance with little or no transfer credit.
The additional undergraduate online courses and degrees come from the College of Arts & Science, College of Education and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
The new programs will increase the number of online degree offerings to nearly 90, said Jim Spain, vice provost for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost for e-learning.
Demand for online learning is at an all-time high among students of all ages, Spain said. Mizzou will continue to invest in online offerings by accepting another round of proposals from its schools and collegess. Those awards will be announced in 2014.
“Mizzou has been offering distance education for more than 100 years as part of fulfilling our land-grant university mission,” Spain said. “Our offerings have more than doubled and our enrollments have grown 78 percent in the last five years.
“These new online programs will not only help students be more globally competitive, but also help meet our state leaders’ goal of having a more highly educated Missouri,” he said.
For additional information, visit online.missouri.edu.