CAS CONNECT 2019

Moving Forward With the Future College’s online degree programs attract new interest — and applause T he prevailing mental image of a college classroom is an image of rows of students crowded into desks, listening to an instructor deliver the lesson of the day. Oklahoma State University is looking to change that. The College of Arts and Sciences has four online degree programs. Two generalist programs offer a bachelor’s in multidisciplinary studies and a bachelor’s in university studies. The Department of Computer Science will offer an undergraduate degree beginning in the spring. And the fourth, the Department of Statistics’ master’s in applied statistics, has been in existence for several years. In 2018, the statistics programwas ranked second on Affordable Colleges Online’s list of Best Online Master’s Degrees in Statistics, and fifth on Best College Reviews’ list of Best Master’s in Applied Statistics online programs. Joshua Habiger, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the new graduate coordinator in the Department of Statistics. There’s a lot of interest in the master’s program, he said. “I’m getting at least an email a day about it,” Habiger said. “In our field, there is a lot of demand as data science takes off. That is definitely a high- demand industry, and this degree gets your foot in the door for a job.” The online degree paths are designed for students who may not be able to take traditional courses because of location, circumstances or finances. With a student body of over 35,000 spread across five campuses and representing all 50 states STORY KEVIN SHARP AND JACOB LONGAN | PHOTO JASON WALLACE and 120 countries, OSU is seeking to open its doors even wider. Blayne Mayfield, Ph.D., oversees the new computer science program. “We are a land-grant institution, and one of our charges is to educate the people of Oklahoma,” Mayfield said. “This programwill allow us to help a lot of students whomwe might otherwise not be able to.” Habiger calls flexibility the main advantage of online programs. “You can watch the lectures on your own time,” Habiger added. “You can do the homework after work or on the weekends.” Cara Brun, a student adviser with CAS, agreed. “Working or distance students can benefit from having access to a reputable program on a flexible schedule,” she said. Habiger noted that the online coursework is identical to the content in traditional classes. “These classes are all offered in person as well,” Habiger said. “The online students do the same homework assignments and take the same exams as their peers on campus. There is a stigma out there that online courses are easier, but it is not any less of an education. And this program can prepare you well for any industry setting where you need to work with a lot of data. We are in the middle of the information era. It’s a really valuable skill to be able to synthesize information and learn from data. This degree provides you with those skills.” “Working or distance students can benefit from having access to a reputable program on a flexible schedule.” — CARA BRUN, STUDENT ADVIS0R 22 CONNECT 201 9