This story originally appeared on the MU News Bureau website.
As demand for online classes continues to rise, the University of Missouri is planning to launch more than 25 online programs in fall 2020, bringing the total number of online degree and certificate options to more than 150.
Among the subjects soon to be available to students everywhere are master’s programs in business, music education, clinical and diagnostic sciences, nursing and school counseling. Graduate certificates launching include global supply chain management, veterinary science, public health communication, sports analytics, investments and assurance. Undergraduate certificates in biomedical science, veterinary science and sports analytics will also soon be available.
The Trulaske College of Business is taking applications for a master of science in business degree that is composed of stackable graduate certificates along with a core business curriculum.
“Trulaske is a leader in business education, which is reflected in our rigorous curriculum and the innovative delivery of programs like the MS in Business,” said Ajay Vinzé, dean of the Trulaske College of Business. “The stackable format of this new online program is the first of its kind at Mizzou.”
The new online business master’s degree will allow students to blend graduate certificates that match their career interests, such as public health, health informatics and nonprofit management. Many of MU’s schools and colleges already offer online graduate certificates, and more options are being developed.
The Sinclair School of Nursing is opening 10 of the new programs with a special focus on making their advanced practice nurse and clinical nurse specialist programs available at the graduate level, both as master’s degrees and graduate certificates. Previously those advanced nursing professional credentials were only available at the doctoral level at MU.
“2020 is the ‘Year of the Nurse’,” said Sarah Thompson, dean of the Sinclair School of Nursing. “The Sinclair School of Nursing is dedicated to educating more nurses to help fill a shortage in the workforce. The new online master’s and graduate certificate options allow working nurses to advance their careers and continue making a difference in the health and well-being of people.”
Several MU departments also are seeking approval from the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development for additional degrees and certificates launching in spring and summer 2021.
Mizzou has more online programs than any institution in the Midwest and has the second most programs in the SEC and among the public AAU institutions. Investment in online programming is important to MU because “we want to meet people where they are in their careers and in their lives,” Thompson said.
To learn more about MU’s new online programs, visit online.missouri.edu/2020