Online master’s available

Starting fall 2011, USC master of communication and public administration degrees will be offered online  to meet an increased demand from students.

Students enrolled in the online program will have access to the same faculty who teach on campus and will develop online virtual communities while still partaking in the Trojan Family, said Jack Knott, dean of the School of Policy Planning and Development.

“The online program offers the opportunity to provide a quality, state-of-the-art education to the 21st-century students,” Knott said. “[The program] fits students’ learning style through the Internet and social networking and it fits students’ lifestyle of juggling careers, family and education.”

Founded in 1995, Embanet has provided USC with the program to offer online courses. It has been one of the pioneering companies in offering online services to students, said Paul Gleason, senior vice president of Educational Operations at Embanet.

For Embanet, offering online courses is vital to those students who want to pursue graduate education but don’t have the means of doing so in a classroom.

“Each course is specifically built to deliver learning in interactive ways to achieve curriculum learning outcomes. Ultimately, our greatest accomplishment is bringing high quality to students and institutions together,” Gleason said.

For the master of public administration, acceptance into the program is extremely competitive with an expected enrollment of 85 students in the first year, Knott said. Within the next four years, the goal is for 200 new students to be enrolled in the program.

“It is important that we enter the market early and establish our presence,” Knott said.

For USC, Embanet will provide program and course conversion, marketing and enrollment services, online faculty training, student services and technology development and support.

“It accommodates students who cannot come to USC’s campus in person, who need a more flexible schedule for professional or personal reasons,” said Ernest J. Wilson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, in an e-mail.

USC began exploring the advancement and opportunities of online learning within the past couple of years, Gleason said.

Knott said there has been a demand for these online courses, and a survey revealed that alumni have strong interest and support for an online degree.

To begin the stages of building this online education program, Embanet must work closely with the faculty to create a pseudo-campus learning environment while also building up a strong student assembly.

Some students feel that being able to get a master’s degree online will benefit those struggling to juggle career and work, while others are more skeptical.

Stevee Eads, a sophomore majoring in public relations, said online  learning will be detrimental to the success of the student and their academic endeavors.

“I don’t think this is a good idea because students need one-on-one interactions. You don’t get the full understanding or experience unless you are learning first hand,” Eads said.

While not totally opposed to it, Tim Baumann, a sophomore majoring in business administration, is skeptical of whether the quality of work that goes into earning a master’s degree will be up to the same standards as in previous years because of the attitude some students have toward online classes.

“I wonder if employers and other academic instructions are going to feel the same skeptical feelings and whether or not that is going to make USC look less like the prestigious academic institution it is and more like the other run-of-the-mill online universities that serve a different function than I believe USC does,” Baumann said.

On the other hand, some students said they feel this type of learning is inevitable because of how strong the Internet has become.

“It’s a good idea because the Internet and education are continuing to intertwine. More classes and books are being offered online. If you can get a degree by not leaving your home, it will be much easier, especially if commuting is tough,” said Alex Matros, a sophomore majoring in business administration and cinematic arts.

Whether the students are in favor of it or not, the online opportunity to earn a master’s degree will be launched in the fall 2011.

“I am hoping that students will use the skills and knowledge they receive in our first-rate MPA degree to make a significant contribution to their community, the country or internationally,” Knott said.