|
Online master's degree program a first at CSUN Speech-language pathology is to graduate students next week By Shalena Roddey-Smith, Sundial Staff Students in CSUN's first online master's degree program will celebrate the completion of a three-year program at their graduation ceremony next week. This is the first online program offered in the California State University system allowing students the opportunity to obtain a master's degree in speech language and pathology while working full-time and maintaining busy lives. This program is a joint collaboration between the College of Extended Learning and the University Department of Health and Human Development. "Traditional- daytime programs don't accommodate a schedule for students that have families and work full time,". said Karen Green, the program's coordinator. "This was a high energy group able to manage life and the program." Technology allowed students to complete the required coursework needed to obtain a degree by using chat rooms, e-mail and discussion boards while engaging in supervised fieldwork. Green said the program will not affect enrollment as it taps into a different group and demographic. Residential students area little younger and they can work their jobs in coordination with, their daytime. classes; unlike the individuals in this online program; she added. Students have been working year round during the spring, summer, fall and intersession since May of 1999. It is structured in a block system where students have one course every six or eight weeks. The program is a self-supporting program not funded by state monies. It costs about $18,000 to enroll in the three-year program, which is about $6,000 more than the residential program. The fee includes a course pack and CD-ROM so all the students have compatible software. Graduating students were unavailable for comment but Green said the response to the program has been positive. She said since the program began there has been one marriage, six babies born and three immediate deaths. The: students have had a lot of -life changes during the program while working hard to obtain their master's degree, Green said. Applications will be available on Sept. 16. The program will begin its next session May 5, 2003. There have been discussions of future online programs on campus such as in the engineering field. Home
| Prospective
Students | Current
Students Site
last updated
January 14, 2008
|
