| [August 31, 2005] |
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UMassOnline Starts Fall Semester with Eight New Online Programs; Meeting Demand for Programs in: Gerontology, Software Design, Teaching English as a Second Language, Autism, Club Management, and Computer Networks
SHREWSBURY, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- Aug. 31, 2005 -- UMassOnline today announces eight new online programs, including an innovative Behavioral Intervention in Autism Program. This graduate certificate program was developed in partnership with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, a pioneer in service for people with developmental disabilities, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and UMass Lowell, in an effort to educate and develop compassionate healthcare and human service professionals.
The eight new programs address increased demand in growth fields such as gerontology, autism, software development, and teaching English as a second language. UMassOnline programs deliver the quality and accreditation of a world-class institution with the convenience and flexibility online learning enables.
UMassOnline's new programs are:
-- Master's Degree in Gerontology - UMass Boston partners with UMassOnline to deliver professionals in aging services the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and develop skills in policy development and analysis, program management, administration, and finance with a focus on the aging population.
-- Certificate in Gerontology: Management of Aging - UMass Boston's program focuses on management of aging services and is targeted to individuals in the aging network who are looking to upgrade their skills or advance in new directions within the field or for those looking to enter the field.
-- Certificate in Behavioral Intervention in Autism - Designed to provide professionals in psychology, education, child care, and human services with an understanding of effective intervention in autism and related developmental disorders.
-- Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction - Offered through UMass Lowell's Graduate School of Education, the program is designed for experienced teachers interested in broadening their professional knowledge and expanding the contributions they make to education.
-- Certificate in Software Design & Development - This graduate certificate offered through UMass Dartmouth provides knowledge of tools, techniques, and theory associated with software development and software engineering.
-- Certificate in Computer Networks and Distributed Systems - UMass Dartmouth designed this graduate certificate to provide professionals knowledge of tools, techniques, and theories associated with computer networks and their performance evaluation.
-- Certificate in Club Management - UMass Amherst's Certificate in Club Management equips students with the necessary skills needed for a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of club operations, for example: private country club, city clubs, and unique membership clubs.
-- Master's in Applied Linguistics: English as a Second Language - UMass Boston's 30-credit program focuses on the acquisition of English as a second or subsequent language, as well as cross-cultural relationships and interethnic communication.
"These eight new programs are a solid addition to UMassOnline's portfolio," states UMassOnline CEO David Gray. "With all five UMass campuses and the best UMass faculty fully engaged in providing new learning options, we are meeting the diverse educational needs of professionals and life long learners. This year, we have expanded our service mission by collaborating with Shriver to provide much needed training in the field of autism."
"Behavioral Intervention in Autism is a unique and much-needed five-course curriculum developed by a team of psychologists and educators at Shriver," reports Richard Fleming, Assistant Professor at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center. "The number of children diagnosed with autism is on the rise. BIA has been carefully designed to meet the rapidly-growing need for trained specialists in the area of effective teaching and behavior change with children with autism and related developmental disorders. Students who participate in the program, which has its academic home in UMASS Lowell's Psychology Department, may complete a four-course certificate or take all five courses in pursuit of professional certification. We look forward to seeing this one-of-a-kind program contribute to an area of great national need."
To learn more about UMassOnline's courses and degree programs, visit UMassOnline at www.UMassOnline.net.
About UMassOnline:
UMassOnline, the University of Massachusetts' system online education consortium, delivers accredited, online programs from UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and UMass Medical School via interactive, Web-based learning systems. Online programs are closely coupled with their face-to-face counterparts enabling UMassOnline to offer fully accredited (NEASC) and nationally-recognized programs online. Today, UMassOnline delivers 52 graduate, undergraduate and non-credit degrees and certificates, as well as 300 online courses annually, to diverse, geographically disparate learners. Online programs span the broad range of academic disciplines that UMass is known for: education, IT, nursing, public health, management, criminal justice, hospitality and tourism, and the liberal arts. Introduced in early 2001 by the University President and Board of Trustees to serve community educational needs and increase access to a UMass education, UMassOnline supported more than 17,500 enrollments and generated $16.5 million in revenue in 2005.
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