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New Online Master’s Degree Programs – January 2020

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), New York University (NYU), Purdue University, Southern Utah University (SUU), and the University of North Alabama (UNA) are five large universities that have recently added new online master’s programs to their academic offerings. Among these new online master’s programs are several programs in computer science and engineering fields, a master’s in professional communication program, and Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs.

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz) – Online Master of Science (MS) in Natural Language Processing (NLP) Program

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering housed within the Baskin School of Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz) has introduced a new online Master of Science (MS) in Natural Language Processing (NLP) program that is accepting applicants for a fall of 2020 start date. The program focuses on computer speech and text processing and features a curriculum designed by computer science, engineering, psychology, and linguistics faculty at UC Santa Cruz. The 11-course/50 credit program includes a required capstone project that students work on in teams beginning in the winter semester of the program’s first academic year. The curriculum, which is designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science and have completed a college-level introductory course in statistics, can be completed in 11 months of full-time enrollment.

New York University (NYU) – Online Master of Science (MS) in Integrated Digital Media (IDM) Program

The Tandon School of Engineering at New York University (NYU) has launched the first fully online degree program to come out of its Integrated Digital Media (IDM) program. The program, which is enrolling its first cohort of students this semester (spring of 2020), is an online Master of Science (MS) in IDM program that provides training and instruction in creative computer coding, web and digital game design, mobile applications development, and augmented and virtual reality. The Tandon School gives admission preference to students who hold a bachelor’s degree from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), although admissions is not restricted to students to have a degree in engineering or computer science. Students in the program must complete a 12-credit core, 12 additional credits of elective coursework, and a six-credit thesis that may include an on-campus presentation. The program has a three-year sequence of courses for part-time students, and a four-semester, full-time sequence that can be completed in two years.

Purdue University – Online Master of Science (MS) in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Program

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Indiana’s Purdue University is now offering a new online Master of Science (MS) in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) program that begins with the first classes being offered in January of 2020. The program is one of three online master’s programs in engineering that Purdue is planning to introduce over the next two years. The online MS in ECE program features seven specialization tracks: Automatic Control; Communications, Networking, Signal, & Image Processing; Computer Engineering; Fields and Optics; Microelectronics & Nanotechnology; Power & Energy Systems; and VLSI & Circuit Design. Applicants to the program should have a technical background and, while an undergraduate degree in engineering is preferred, candidates with strong math and science backgrounds may receive admissions consideration. The 30-credit program has a flexible enrollment policy that allows students to complete the program in as little as one year or up to four years, depending on how many courses they take per term.

Southern Utah University (SUU) – Online Master of Arts (MA) in Professional Communication, Master or Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS), Master of Music (MM) in Music Technology, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programs

Southern Utah University has added four new master’s programs to the growing number of online degree programs the school now offers. The new programs are accelerated online master’s programs that can be completed in one year and include an online Master of Arts (MA) in Professional Communication program, an online Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) program, an online Master of Music (MM) in Music Technology program, and an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. All four of SUU’s new online master’s programs have start dates in March of 2020.

SUU’s 36-credit online MA in Professional Communication program includes coursework in applied communication theory, professional writing, public relations, and social media. The online MIS program is designed for students who may have prior graduate credits and who would like to complete a master’s degree with a curricular focus in two of the following subject areas: Business Administration; Leadership; Systems Quality Leadership & Management; Professional Communication; Brain-Based Learning; Online Teaching; Music Technology; School Library; and General Studies. The online MM in Music Technology program has a Performance Technology curriculum that provides training and instruction in the technology and techniques used to create music and audio for use in film, video, and television. And the online MBA program has a general business administration track as well as specialization tracks in three areas: Finance; Leadership; and Marketing.

The University of North Alabama (UNA) – Online Master of Social Work (MSW) Program

The University of North Alabama (UNA) has received approval from the university’s board of trustees to begin offering an online Master of Social Work (MSW) program that will be accepting applicants for a fall of 2020 start date. The program will be offered through UNA’s College of Arts and Sciences and will join 11 existing online graduate programs currently offered by the university, including programs in criminal justice, education, history, nursing, mathematics, and writing. UNA currently offers a traditional, campus-based Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program that is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The online MSW program will have an Advanced Standing track for students who hold a BSW degree from a CSWE-accredited program, as well as a traditional track for students who have a non-social work bachelor’s degree.