University expands online course offerings with government grant

University expands online course offerings with government grant

Electronic education has existed in some form for more than a decade. In recent years, however, the number of online degree programs has increased dramatically. This may be due in part to technological advancements and nationwide recognition of web-based educational benefits.

Schools such as the University of Missouri (UM) are continuing to launch online programs in order to meet the needs of many nontraditional students, the Columbia Tribune reports. The school is aiming to seamlessly merge traditional academia with new technology.

UM has already allocated more than $500,000 in grant funding to the expansion of online course offerings, which will result in 124 new certificate and graduate-level programs. The money will also create a new respiratory therapy program, as well as a doctorate degree plan for nurses.

"We have hundreds of courses and are growing at 15 to 20 percent a year. When you have a success rate like that in place, you want to enhance and build on what you already have," Dolores Shearon, MU Online spokeswoman, told the news source.

MU's greatest focus is meeting the needs of 27 to 37 year old individuals who wish to return to school.

Now may be the best time for working adults to enroll in an online degree program, as schools are continuing to expand their offerings through government education grants. Nontraditional students have hundreds of schools and thousands of degree options from which to choose.

According to Reuters, the online education sector grew by 17 percent last year.

By Mark Danson