Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/337193
54 July/August 2014 BizEd M ISZAQQ/TH I N KSTOCK technology THE MARKET HAS seen a flurry of business schools introducing new online degree programs to meet demand for more flexible educational options. It's clear that online business degrees have become more rule than exception: ■ In May, Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business in Waco, Texas, launched a fully online version of its MBA program. The core content of the 12-month program will focus on ethics and values in business, and concepts will be integrated across mul- tiple courses. ■ This fall, the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University of Farmville, Virginia, will offer a part-time online MBA focused on the commer- cial real estate industry. The program is expected to take students two years to complete. ■ Quinnipiac University's School of Business in Ham- den, Connecticut, introduces an online master of science in business analytics in fall 2014. The 33-credit program will include seven core courses and four electives. ■ This fall, Samford University's Brock School of Business in Birmingham, Alabama, will offer its MBA in an online format, and the curriculum will include team- based projects. Students in the online MBA program have the option of choosing one of five concentrations in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, or marketing. ■ In fall 2014, the University of South Florida in Tampa will add two online programs to its curriculum: Online Programs Proliferate a 32-credit-hour MBA with a sports concentration and a 16-hour graduate certificate in business foundations. ■ Villanova Business School in Pennsylvania will launch two online programs in fall 2014, including a master of science in analytics and master of business administration. The analytics program, which includes ten courses and a practicum project, will be delivered asynchronously. The 21-course, 48-credit online MBA will kick off with an on-campus leadership challenge and include a weeklong trip to an emerging market. ■ California State University Channel Islands (CI) will offer its first fully online degree, a bachelor of sci- ence in business, this fall. The program will be offered in partnership with Cal State Online, CSU's distance- learning arm, and through the Smith School of Business & Economics and CI's Extended University. Like CI's on-campus bachelor's degree in business, the online pro- gram integrates liberal disciplines such as biology, his- tory, and the fine arts. The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) has created the Sloan-C Advanced Online Teaching Certificate to help educators refine their existing distance learning courses and degree programs in five primary areas: learning effectiveness, scale, access, faculty satisfac- tion, and student satisfaction. The program begins with a three-week asynchro- nous course in which participants develop course revision plans. Then, students attend three syn- chronous sessions that focus on teaching strategies, assessment, and the use of multimedia and social media. Finally, participants present their final revised course for peer review. For information, visit sloanconsortium.org/ institute/advanced-certificate-program. Train Faculty to Teach Online