IU Northwest Revises Graduate Degree Program

Indiana University Northwest has announced what it is called a major revision to its Educational Leadership graduate degree program. The university says the master’s program will become a hybrid of online and traditional courses starting this fall.

Charles Hobson, interim dean of the school of education at IU Northwest, says the change was made in order to meet the demand of working educators who need more flexibility in their schedules. He says the hybrid approach was the best way to provide that flexibility while keeping the benefits of face-to-face instruction. 

"Online courses may be more convenient for students," said Hobson. "However in face-to-face classes, students have their classmates, learning centers on campus, professors’ office hours, tutors, and teaching assistants to support and help them with their various learning needs. These resources guide them, clarify and reinforce the material, and allow them to succeed in their education."

Under the new program, students will complete six of the required courses online. Six of the remaining 15 credit hours will be a combination of face-to-face and online courses. Vernon Smith, coordinator of the Educational Leadership program, said they wanted to keep the courses that focus on the technical skills of being an administrator in a face-to-face environment.

"We are responding to the need for convenience, but we are not sacrificing the quality of our program," said Smith. "Among many other benefits, traditional graduate courses allow for hands-on and skills-based instruction, as well as opportunities for students to lead presentations, which future educational leaders will be required to do."

You can learn more about the program by clicking here.