The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is the joining the list of higher education institutions across the country that are beginning to tap into the e-learning market.
Aiming to make receiving a college education easier for adult learners, the university has announced that it plans to launch 10 new online programs, primarily at the graduate level, over the next three years.
The programs will be designed in partnership with Noodle Partners, the fastest-growing online program manager in the country, and will attempt to improve upon traditional classroom models.
“The provost’s vision, UT’s incredible faculty, and Noodle’s expertise will transform how the university educates Tennesseans and others from around the country and the world,” Noodle Partners CEO John Katzman said.
UT Provost David Manderscheid anticipates a greater level of engagement among students and professors as a result of the various, newly accessible online programs.
“This will certainly be a driver to help the state meet its Drive to 55 goals,” Manderscheid said in a statement. “We hope an undergraduate degree completion program may launch later in the three-year cycle.”
Drive to 55 is an alliance of private sector partners, community and nonprofit leaders that are working to equip 55 percent of Tennesseans with a college degree or certificate by 2025.
Matthew Theriot, associate provost for faculty development and strategic initiatives, is currently in the process of creating an online program advisory committee which will prioritize which online degrees are launched first over the next few years.