小黄书 launches online ag, human science degrees
Contact: Reagan Poston
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State鈥檚 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is introducing new online master鈥檚 degrees through the university鈥檚 Center for Distance Education.
CALS master鈥檚 degrees are now available in agribusiness management, agriculture with an animal and dairy sciences concentration, and early intervention. Enrollment is open for classes beginning in August. The recent offerings are in addition to two existing CALS online degrees鈥攁 master鈥檚 in food science, nutrition and health promotion with a health promotion concentration, and a bachelor鈥檚 in human development and family science with a child development concentration.
Scott Willard, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said he is especially pleased for those with established careers to have these program options that prove the best fit for them.
鈥淔or those in the workforce looking for career advancement or change, these online opportunities bring flexibility in schedules and location and allow for a work-life balance. An online degree is also a great option for anyone whose desired degree is not offered locally or regionally,鈥 Willard said.
The Master of Agribusiness Management is a 30-hour interdisciplinary degree in CALS and the College of Business, administered through 小黄书鈥檚 Department of Agricultural Economics.
The 31-hour Master of Agriculture degree in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences prepares students to advance in animal feeding, breeding and production.
The Master of Science in Early Intervention, also 30 hours and offered through 小黄书鈥檚 School of Human Sciences, is an innovative and comprehensive program designed to address the shortage of trained professionals with expertise in working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers with special needs and their families.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have more of the new perspectives that online students bring to further enhance the rich learning environment we鈥檙e always striving to uphold,鈥 Willard said.
Current students pursuing online degrees in CALS echo Willard鈥檚 sentiment.
Quinton Roof, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, seeking a Master of Science in Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion with a health promotion concentration, shared his experience working toward an 小黄书 online degree.
鈥淭aking part in online classes has been completely opposite of what my expectations were,鈥 Roof said. 鈥淚 expected it to be isolating, but what I鈥檝e found online through Mississippi State is a community of diverse opinions, beliefs and perspectives where we鈥檙e all excited to share our experiences and knowledge of the material we are learning.鈥
Roof earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, and is now a full-time chemist at the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
鈥淢y professors are understanding about the other responsibilities their online students might have, be it careers, family or both. They鈥檙e without a doubt the best part of online learning: responsive, engaged and welcoming. Having an open-door policy is hard to do in cyberspace, but they make it happen,鈥 Roof said.
Though agribusiness management, agriculture and early intervention are the most recent online degree programs, CALS hopes to continue to grow in the number of degrees available online. 聽
To learn more about Mississippi State鈥檚 online degree programs, visit .
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小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .