Learning at Home

By Courtney Larson Images by Ande Sailer [MSUM Marketing & Communications]

technology, working professionals should be able to get the necessary education to advance their professional careers without leaving the comfort and convenience of their homes,” Bradbury said.

Josh St. Louis, a fifth grade teacher at Robert Asp Elementary, recently completed the Minnesota principal licensure program at MSUM, and is working toward his master’s degree in educational leadership.

“The online classes were great because I could do the work when it fit into my schedule, which allowed me to continue my career while tending to the needs of my young family. Events such as web chats were scheduled in the evening, so I still had time to feed my kids dinner and put them to bed,” St. Louis said.

To view the full list of graduate program offerings, visit mnstate.edu/graduate.

In the past year, MSUM has responded to employer needs and student interest by adding new master’s programs in business administration (executive MBA with healthcare emphasis), healthcare administration, nursing administration, and accounting and finance.

The added programs have proved successful. Last year 42 new students enrolled in graduate programs. This year 87 new students enrolled across all of the graduate programs, including the new offerings, with 500 total graduate students enrolled.

“The considerable increase in enrollment is not by accident. Our graduate faculty members have made a genuine effort to accommodate student needs. With attention to increased high-quality programming and flexible delivery modes, we are able to meet students where they are in their lives. Our instructors care about their students, and they provide students personalized attention,” Bradbury said.

For some, online classes may seem disconnected from professors and classmates, but students enrolled for fully online programs, like curriculum and instruction or healthcare administration, receive one-on-one attention from professors and get to know their peers through online chat programs like Skype, Google Hangout and WebEX.

“We believe student interaction and developing relationships is vital to learning. Our use of technologies to emphasize personalized attention and opportunities to learn from each other are cornerstones of the MSUM program,” said Julie Swaggert, coordinator of the educational leadership program. “We meet as a class online and embed technology into our courses to help our students learn and grow as cutting-edge educational leaders.”

“I’m impressed with the program,” said Carla Smith, a current educational leadership student. “Dr. Swaggert was helpful and answered every question I had. The professors expect you to read, write, think and reflect. You’re treated like a professional.”

In addition to the convenience of the classes, receiving a master’s degree, post-master’s degree or licensure provides career advancement opportunities. Students receive in-depth knowledge in their discipline to enhance expertise. [AWM]

In this edition of Area Health, meet a baby that had a rough start to life but is now a happy, healthy 10-month-old. Let Drs. Brent Holman and Carl Trout answer your questions about pediatric dentistry. And learn some new things about the stroke prevention guidelines for women.