Lamar offers degree completion online

Adult students who began but did not complete a bachelor’s degree can now earn a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree online through Lamar University. It’s all part of an online expansion of a degree that Lamar has offered for more than 19 years. Completing the degree online gives working adult learners further flexibility to balance their professional and personal responsibilities with their educational goals.

Many students begin college but do not finish their degrees. In Texas alone, it is estimated that three million people have taken some college courses without graduating. Many of these students are good candidates for Lamar’s online BAAS degree program, university officials said.

Completing a college degree creates the potential for improved earnings power. In fact, the earnings gap between college graduates and workers without college degrees reached a record last year during the economic downturn. On average, those with bachelor’s degrees earned about 54 percent more than those without degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

To qualify in Lamar’s online BAAS program, students must been out of high school for five years, have accumulated 60 or more hours of college credits, and have completed all of the General Education courses with at least a 2.0 grade point average.

In addition, up to 59 hours of college credit can be earned for technical credit and prior work experience through the BAAS program. Multiple start times are offered throughout the year, along with flexible payment plans and financial aid available in Spring 2010 for qualified students. Academic support is provided for each student. The program is offered fully online at $450 per course in state.

Enrollment for the first online session continues through the end of September and the first courses will begin October 12, 2009.

For more information about Lamar University’s online Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree, visit www.academicpartnerships.com/BAAS or contact 1-866-223-7675.

ABOUT LAMAR UNIVERSITY

Lamar University is a comprehensive public university in Beaumont, Texas, and a member of The Texas State University System. Serving more than 13,000 students, LU offers more than 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs with both in-person and online classes. Lamar is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

RSU offers new online degree

The bachelor of science degree in business administration – management option – will be offered entirely online at Rogers State University.

The online availability of the degree program was approved by the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, the governing board for RSU, at its Sept. 17 meeting in Norman.

“This will be the ninth degree that RSU offers entirely via the Internet,” said RSU President Dr. Larry Rice. “We are proud to expand our delivery of this degree program, further enhancing the reach and availability of education in this region and beyond.”

The university is targeting the availability of the online degree for this spring, pending approval of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

RSU already offers several online degrees including bachelor degrees in applied technology, liberal arts, business information technology (computer network administration and software development and multimedia options) and organizational leadership, and associate degrees in applied technology, business administration, computer science and liberal arts.

RSU is recognized as a pioneer in distance learning and was one of the first universities in Oklahoma to offer bachelor and associate degrees entirely online. The RSU Online program serves students from across Oklahoma and the nation.

The bachelor of science (B.S.) in business administration at RSU is designed to meet the continuing demand for business administration majors who understand the function of business and can utilize those functions in an increasingly competitive global economy, said Dr. Bruce Garrison, dean of the RSU School of Business and Technology. Bachelor of science in business administration options available to students on campus include accounting, entrepreneurship, forensic accounting, human resources management, management, manufacturing management and marketing.

For more information, contact the RSU School of Business and Technology at (918) 343-7520.