Degrees Will Soon Be a Click Away at UNC Schools

Chapel Hill, N.C. — The digital way is steadily making its way across college campuses. Now, the University of North Carolina system has a plan to overhaul the online experience.

The UNC system plans to offer dozens of online degree, certificate and licensure programs. The concept will allow students and adults across the state the flexibility and convenience that online education provides.

"Young people and working adults all across North Carolina know they need more education to compete and win in a knowledge-based global economy,” said UNC President Erskine Bowles. "They want a degree that means something from established universities they know and trust."

UNC will offer 92 fully online degree programs (35 baccalaureate completion, 55 master’s degrees, two doctoral degrees) and more than 40 online certificate and licensure programs.

UNC Journalism professor Chris Roush teaches a class without ever leaving his office.

"I will e-mail them writing assignments at certain times and certain days," he said. "I think every class we teach eventually will have one section of it online."

It's part of a growing trend in the UNC System. The campuses plan to put more emphasis on their programs and degrees at the University of North Carolina Online.

Officials said the demand for online degrees will be driven by older, working students who do not live within commuting distance of a UNC campus.

Students will enroll in programs or courses through the campus of their choice. Degrees earned by enrolled students will look the same as a degree or diploma obtained on campus and will be awarded by the campus offering the program.

Bowles said the program will benefit state taxpayers because money will not be needed to build buildings to accommodate the extra students.

UNC system officials said they will start marketing the programs to 21- to 44-year-olds using ads on Yahoo! and Monster.com.

Fifteen of the 16 UNC campuses currently offer online options, and all are expected to have them in the fall.

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I am personally happy of this. I am now living in Italy, and I cannot go to the university here because they need my transcripts and guess what moore county schools lost them so all I have is a diploma in my hands. In Italy I am considered just a middleschool graduate. That's not all folks, no no, even if they accepted my diploma, I still need a batchlors degree to get in the university here, or take a bunch of state exams, at least if I could do some on-line course at a university that can be trusted, I could maybe get somewhere here in this country. I am floating arond city to city teaching english and doing translations becuase here, if you aren't educated you can't have a job, and it's killing me and my family, hubby and 2 kids, seeing as how where I live is more expenseve than NY city. So I am very happy to hear this, knowing UNC is a trusted school, that my money won't go to waste and the diploma will have some value in the world. I just hope it is sooner and not later.

huomenna
June 9, 2007 8:34 a.m.

To Mr. French: When was the last time you took an on line course? I have done it for my MBA and I found it to be harder than attending classes. It requires more self descipline and an extensive amount of research. For anyone who thinks a University "gives" out diplomas, nothing could be farther from it. You have to earn it. I challenge Mr. French to attend one of UNC's upper level online courses for a full semester, without quitting, and then see if he is able to make the same assessment about UNC or any other University that does online courses. Thanks to UNC and other great institutions for offering the opportunity for all to continue their education.

uncblue
June 8, 2007 8:12 a.m.

This is the best news I've read in a long time! Well Paris getting her jail time converted to home arrest was great also (sarcasm).

DisgustedNC
June 8, 2007 7:50 a.m.

The value of online courses depend on two things: The student taking the course must want to learn the material, not just get the credits; and the course has to be the right type. Many science courses, particularly labs, can't be taught that way; at least not and be honest to the course.

For motivated students, it is a great option. For lazy students, it expands the options for cheating. For hiring someone, if they have taken online courses, it is up to them to prove to me they actually learned the material. Usually, though, I can pick out the cheaters pretty quickly (online or traditional) and they are history -- it just seems more likely with online courses. Hybrid courses are much better -- ones where you do the work online but take exams face-to-face. I also use some techniques to determine when students have not written the papers they turn in.

mvnull
June 8, 2007 12:29 a.m.

Those online courses are very demanding....especially the short, summer sessions as in six weeks you are expected to write two term papers, read about 120 pages a day, do daily postings online and take at least one to two tests each week.......which are so short timed that there is absolutely no way to cheat, at least not that I could find.....you either know it or you don't and I dare say some in-person classes would not pass these very short timed tests. But, it is convenient especially for the working person to complete degrees! ! G O ... U N C.....