KU introduces online program for degree completion


Tue, 03/24/2015

author

Kristi Henderson

LAWRENCE – A bachelor’s degree from the state’s flagship university will be within reach for more students with the launch of new online education opportunities at the University of Kansas.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Online will house the university’s first all-digital bachelor’s degree completion program in the liberal arts and sciences. Degree-seeking students can combine previous undergraduate credit or an associate’s degree with online KU courses to complete a bachelor’s degree.

The program features courses from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, which will provide students a well-rounded and flexible education that can be applied in nearly any profession or post-baccalaureate study.

“This program eliminates distance and busy schedules as barriers to earning a bachelor’s degree from a top international research institution,” said Don Steeples, interim dean of the College. “Our mission in the College is to learn without boundaries, which drives us to create programs that encourage students to not limit themselves in where, how or when they learn.”

The degree completion program will mirror an on-campus degree in all regards except the online delivery format. Students will fulfill the same general education requirements of the KU Core and will take rigorous and diverse courses taught by full-time faculty in the College.

“Challenge, support and community are the pillars of the online degree completion program,” said Paul Atchley, associate dean for online and professional education in the College. “Unlike many schools, where online education is about making money, the College’s online programming is about KU's mission to help students reach their potential and fulfill their ambitions.”

A liberal arts and sciences education has been consistently identified by employers as ideal training for prospective employees. A survey released early this year found that more than three out of every four employers see an education in the liberal arts and sciences as one of the most valuable preparations for employment. The report by the American Association of Colleges and Universities polled 400 employers nationwide.

Courses offered through The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Online will cover a broad range of disciplines such as communication, statistics, global studies and social sciences. Most courses are taught in eight-week “minimesters.”

The bachelor’s degree completion program is currently accepting applications for summer 2015 and fall 2015. More information is available at The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Online website.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is KU's broadest, most diverse academic unit, made up of more than 50 departments, programs and centers.

Tue, 03/24/2015

author

Kristi Henderson

Media Contacts

Kristi Henderson

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

785-864-3663