University Corner: University of Oklahoma

Q: What is the University of Oklahoma’s background in military education and, as the chief academic administrator for University Outreach, how have you promoted this program area?

A: For more than half a century the University of Oklahoma has been a pioneer in the delivery of military education. Some of the earliest efforts included a Japanese language course offered via correspondence during World War II to support our foreign-based troops.

In 1964, we established advanced programs, which provided—at military sites around the world—an intensive teaching format to meet the needs of active military personnel who could not participate in a full semester course. This pioneering graduate degree program underwent an external evaluation by the Educational Testing Service, which concluded that Advanced Programs classes are the same in every substantive way as the graduate courses conducted on OU’s Norman campus.

In addition to Advanced Programs, we have provided since 1988 a CD-ROM-based teaching format for the Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE). We are also a member of the GoArmyEd consortium. And of course, military personnel also participate in our online programs through our Center for Independent and Distance Learning and our undergraduate and graduate degree programs through our College of Liberal Studies.

As the demands of extended deployments have expanded, we naturally have changed our programs to fit the needs of our students worldwide while capturing the expertise, enthusiasm and professionalism of our faculty. We extend to our students cutting-edge knowledge and information from our faculty who are research-based, published authorities in their respective disciplinary areas.

Q: What makes the University of Oklahoma unique in the benefits and programs it offers military servicemembers?

A: Flexibility is a key word here. We have found—and our success with these programs underscores this fact—that the delivery of University of Oklahoma educational programs is the perfect answer to the current deployment schedule of the U.S. military. Our array of online, correspondence, personalized independent study, and onsite programs allow military students to take classes, deploy and return to class without having to wait for a new semester to begin.

The different opportunities for distance learning—both undergraduate and graduate— are crucial to the success of our military students who serve in all branches of the armed services.

Q: What online degree and certificate programs does the University of Oklahoma offer and how do these distance learning programs fit in with the lives of active and transitioning military personnel?

A: We offer the following degrees totally online through our College of Liberal Studies: Bachelor of Science in criminal justice; Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies with options in administrative leadership, humanities, natural sciences, or social sciences; and the Master of Arts in liberal studies with options in administrative leadership, museum studies, or interprofessional health and human services.

Our Advanced Programs unit provides graduate level education through online courses and classes where OU faculty members deliver coursework on site. These graduate programs include Master of Arts degrees with a major in either communications or economics [managerial emphasis] or an emphasis in international relations, Master of Human Relations, Master of Public Administration, Master of Social Work, and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership. Evidence indicates that our students appreciate the flexibility of these programs and the array of disciplinary options.

Moreover, in the case of Advanced Programs, we employ site representatives at military installations. These individuals are instrumental to the success of the program and, for our students, are vital links to the Norman campus. It’s like having the University of Oklahoma present onsite, whatever their location in the world.

Q: What branches of the military is the University of Oklahoma serving?

A: We serve all branches of the military, including Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard civilians. Today’s new National Security Personnel System is just as demanding on our civil service employees to progress and acquire advanced degrees as our military. Our onsite classes are held at military installations in North America, Europe and the Pacific.

Q: What are some of the University of Oklahoma’s main goals in meeting the future challenges of online and military education?

A: In our efforts to provide the gold standard in quality that our military students around the world have come to expect and demand of their University of Oklahoma experience, we continue to explore new degree options, new delivery technologies, and new enhancements to our existing degree offerings. Vitally important to us, too, are the array of services we offer our students. Ultimately, though, our main goal at OU Outreach is to transform lives through knowledge. ♦