Masters programs highlight enrollment growth

Dr. Randy Rhine, CSC vice president for enrollment management and student services, said that 15 more students are enrolled for spring 2011 compared to the same date in 2010. The increase of more than one-half percent in headcount comes with a 2.79 percent increase in full-time equivalency.

The higher numbers are largely driven by growth in the number of students seeking master’s degrees. The graduate programs are beginning with a 5.94 percent increase in headcount and a 7.49 percent increase in FTE.

In addition to its wide range of undergraduate degrees, CSC offers master’s degrees to students seeking advanced training in science, mathematics, community counseling, school counseling, history, business administration, education curriculum and instruction, educational administration, and organizational management.

Dr. Margaret Crouse, CSC’s dean who supervises the graduate program, said a number of initiatives in the past two years have enhanced the enrollment growth, also pointing out that service has been key.

“Kristal (Kuhnel, CSC graduate studies assistant to the dean) immediately responds to an application with materials that tell students when the courses are offered and the steps to enroll. We give them all the information they need right away,” she said.

Crouse said the Master of Education degrees continue to be the most popular, but that the others are doing extremely well and gaining interest.

For instance, she said the Master of Arts in Education for history is being offered entirely online, which has been popular among educators who are looking to teach at community colleges, in addition to museum employees and high school teachers seeking advancement.

One of CSC’s newest offerings is the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in music, designed for music teachers. That program, too, is offered entirely online, except for recommended summer clinics in Chadron that focus on topics such as jazz performance and conducting.

Another program that has gained popularity since its inception is the Master of Science Degree in Organizational Management. Crouse said it is a good fit for students in a variety of occupations, offering focus areas in human services, natural resources and sports management.

“For instance, the duties for a person with a science degree working in a biology laboratory may have evolved to require managerial skills. This degree is perfect for people in many career fields who face similar situations.”

And, of course, CSC’s Master of Business Administration has long been nationally recognized for being tops in value, earning high marks for quality and affordability.

Dr. Gary White, CSC’s dean who oversees the business offerings, attributes the growth of the MBA to its convenience of delivery. Students complete the courses online in just eight weeks.

“Master’s and graduate students are often people who are in the workforce already. The eight-week format works better for them because they can get into a class and get out of it. It doesn’t drag on,” he said. “Because it’s online, we have been able to recruit students even overseas to take the courses.”