In the spring, Ball State University will begin offering accelerated online degree programs to accommodate the admission overflow to certain master's degree programs.
This new program will target adult learners who may need to find a new degree or change careers, Nancy Prater, director of marketing and communication for distance education, said.
"We needed a new model that was convenient for prospective students," she said.
Many online classes are available through Ball State's Distance Education Program. However, the difference is that this spring, six complete master's degree programs will be available online. These include elementary education, educational leadership, special education, educational studies, public relations and nursing.
Prater said the market for adult learning is growing.
"Ball State is already facing a lot of competition for accelerated online programs from other institutions," she said. "We don't want to turn students away, or put them on a waiting list because then they would probably go somewhere else to get their degree."
Prater said these online courses will be made available for the convenience of non-traditional students, but will not replace the programs on campus.
Joanna Wallace, dean of the school of extended education, said some classes can be completed in five to 10 weeks, and students will be able to graduate in as little as one year. This program, she said, is much faster than trying to work and take classes on campus part-time.
Prater said a benefit to these online classes is that students can complete assignments on their own time, rather than attending a Web conference at a given time each week. Students can take the class wherever they have access to a computer. Group projects and discussion boards will be some components of these classes.
Brien Smith, chairperson of marketing and communication, said these online programs will not take away from the quality of education at Ball State.
"The faculty and Senate would be interested with how the curriculum would look and be sure to protect the integrity of the system," he said.
Smith said that some state schools take part in "the race to the bottom:" a race to get students a degree as quickly as possible, a method which can sacrifice quality in the classroom.
Undersecretary to the University Senate Melanie Turner said that policies for the new online courses are currently being written and explored by the Extended Education Committee, but there is no chairperson of the committee at this time.
"If there are ways that we can become more selective and meet the needs of our students, we're going to explore them," Smith said.
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