Jones International University Launches First Ever Master of Education in e-Learning

March 6, 2001

DENVER — March 5, 2001–Today Jones International University™, Ltd. (JIU), the first fully online accredited university, launched six online master of education (M.Ed.) degrees in e-learning. This is the first time M.Ed. degrees featuring e-learning programs have been offered completely via the Internet. Specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s working professionals, the degree programs offered are: Research and Assessment; Corporate Training and Knowledge Management; Global Leadership and Administration; Library and Resource Management; Technology and Design; and a Generalist Master of Education in e-learning. To complement the degree programs, JIU is also introducing eight e-learning professional education certificate programs.

“JIU Master of Education students will be landing squarely on education’s frontier,” said Dr. Pamela S. Pease, president of JIU. “They will not only be learning at the institution that pioneered online education, they will be taking courses designed by e-learning leaders from around the globe. But perhaps the most significant benefit is attaining knowledge and expertise in a field of high demand.”

Before voting to extend institutional accreditation to include the M.Ed. degrees on February 19, 2001, the Higher LearningCommission, a member of the North Central Association (NCA), carefully evaluated the program against the same rigorous criteria of traditional site-based universities, thereby providing certification of acceptable quality. On March 5, 1999, JIU made history when, after a four-year review process, the NCA granted the University institutional accreditation, making JIU the first fully online university to receive accreditation from one of the country’s six regional accrediting agencies.

“By 2004, 75 percent of college students will have taken an online course,” said Michael Zastrocky, Vice President, Academic Strategies for Gartner Group. “We’ve seen that the market is wide open right now for degree programs focusing on e-learning.”

Concurrent with the implementation of its M.Ed. degrees, JIU added eight professional education certificate programs in e-learning to its curricula, bringing the number of certificate programs available to students to 43. The new e-learning course composites were designed for educators looking to stay abreast of the latest in instructional design and the facilitation of online learning. The certificates are offered in the following categories: e-learning Research and Assessment; Corporate e-Training Management; Leading the Global Learning Organization; Library Management; e-learning Instructional Design; e-learning Design and Production; Facilitating Online Learning; and Creating and Managing e-learning.

With no geographical campus location and no site-based or satellite campus requirements, JIU’s M.Ed. students will get instant access to the fully accredited degree they want and need–allowing them to update their skills and work a superior education into their busy lifestyle–while juggling career and family obligations. They will also have access to the Jones e-global library, an extensive, virtual library that serves as a 24-hour-a-day information resource to JIU’s students.

Like the university’s other programs, JIU’s M.Ed. degrees include courses designed by recognized experts from prestigious institutions. Highly qualified, learning-centered faculty members–most of whom also work in the fields they teach–serve as JIU instructors. As with JIU students, the University’s faculty log on from their home countries, in the United States and around the globe.

Students and faculty benefit from a highly interactive experience. Rich in content, JIU classrooms consist of 25 or fewer students. Online workgroups, email, and other online forums are used to foster communication, collaboration, and skill acquisition among JIU’s international student body, which includes students from more than 57 countries, ranging in age from their mid-20s to their late-60s. This intimate and interactive classroom format also allows professors to offer highly individualized instruction, and to get to know their students on a more personalized level.

JIU is currently accepting registrations for the M.Ed.’s first semester that begins April 1, 2001. Courses begin every month and are available in either eight-week or 12-week instructor-facilitated, modular formats. The university also offers a bachelor’s completion degree in business communication, a master’s degree in business communication, and seven master’s of business administration degrees, as well as 43 professional education certificate programs.

To register and for more information, interested students can contact the JIU Education Center online at: http://www.jonesinternational.edu, by email at info@international.edu or by calling

  • 1.800.811.5663 in the United States

  • +1.303.784.8045, outside the United States.

About Jones International University

Founded in 1993, JIU, the first fully online accredited university, offers more than 40 professional education programs, bachelor’s and master’s of arts in business communication degree programs, seven master of business administration degrees, and six master of education in e-learning degrees. The master of business administration degree program courses are offered in English and Spanish. Jones International University is a JonesKnowledge.com™ company. JonesKnowledge.com, a Jones International, Ltd., subsidiary, is a leader in the development and deployment of online learning solutions to educational institutions, individuals, and corporations. To learn more about JIU, visit http://www.jonesinternational.edu.

Contact Information

Jones International University, Ltd.

Kelly Gehrke

303-784-8232

kgehrke@jonesinternational.edu

PAN Communications

Nicole Wolf

978-474-1900

nwolf@pancomm.com