Arkansas State University is adding five new online degree programs this school year. Thilla Sivakumaran is Executive Director of Global Initiatives at Arkansas State University.
“We just launched four new undergraduate programs. A Bachelor of Arts in criminology, sociology, political science, and communication studies,” said Sivakumaran. “In the spring, we will launch a Masters in Engineering Management online program, which is ranked in the top 20 in the country. We are excited about those programs being launched.”
He says there are record enrollment numbers in the online programs that are offered through A-State.
“We have currently about 3,000 students enrolled for the fall semester in our online program. That is the first time that we have had that, and if those numbers hold on Monday, we are actually expecting to cross over the 3,000 student enrollment mark. We believe those numbers will increase with additional offerings that we are looking into at this time. So far, most of the online graduate programs have been in the graduate level, but we are now starting to look at the undergraduate level. These programs will allow those students from two-year institutions to come and complete a four-year degree without leaving their homes.”
He says he is also researching which future online programs would be feasible and might be received well.
“We will conduct market research to see if there is demand for these programs. We look to see if there is interest in students to take these programs and we also gauge the willingness of the faculty and the department to make these programs available online. We look at whether the programs can feasibly be taught online.”
He says he will start talking with deans and department chairs about future offerings. He says the online programs at Arkansas State University have been very successful.
