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New Online Master’s Degree Programs – June 2021

A number of accredited private, non-profit and public universities have recently announced the launch of new online master’s degree programs. These programs include Master of Science (MS) programs in Human Clinical Nutrition, and Vulnerability and Violence Reduction; a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program; two Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) programs; and a Master of Taxation program. The schools offering these programs are Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University (SHU), The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), Louisiana’s Tulane University, the University of Maryland (UMD), and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

Sacred Heart University – Online Master of Science (MS) in Human Clinical Nutrition Program

Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University (SHU), a private, non-profit university located in Fairfield, recently added a new online Master of Science (MS) in Human Clinical Nutrition program to its growing slate of online degree programs. The 34-credit program, which is accepting applications for a start date this Fall, can be completed in six trimesters over a two year period and is designed to prepare students for the American Nutrition Society’s Clinical Nutrition Specialist certification exam. Offered through SHU’s College of Health Professions, the MS in Human Clinical Nutrition program is fully online and does not require any campus visits. However, students in the program will have the opportunity to work under the guidance of a professional nutritionist on campus, online, or through a combination of virtual and campus-based meetings.

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) – Online Master of Taxation Program

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), through Penn State World Campus, has announced the launch of a new online Master of Taxation program. The 30-credit graduate program provides training and instruction in state, federal, and international tax regulations, income tax accounting, and corporate taxation through courses taught by faculty from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB International). In addition to taking didactic courses, students in the program must complete an applied capstone project. The program can be completed fully online and does not require students to attend any on-campus visits. This program is designed for early- to mid-career professionals who hold a bachelor’s degree and have some prior training in accounting and/or finance.

Tulane University – Online Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) Programs in Environmental Law and Energy Law

The School of Law at Louisiana’s Tulane University is offering two new online Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) degree programs: an MJ in Environmental Law; and an MJ in Energy Law. Both programs, which enrolled their first cohorts in January of 2021, are designed for non-lawyers who work in regulatory, policy, and advocacy positions and who want to advance in their careers through a deeper understanding of federal, state, and local statutory and administrative laws pertaining to the energy sector and/or the environment. The programs are similarly structured and have some overlapping courses. Students in these programs complete 30 graduate credits of coursework, including seven required courses, two electives, and a capstone project. In addition to completing nine online courses and a capstone project, students in these programs are required to attend one in-person Immersion Weekend in New Orleans on the Tulane campus. The completion time for these programs is two years.

University of Maryland – Online Master of Science (MS) in Vulnerability and Violence Reduction Program

The University of Maryland (UMD) has announced plans for an innovative new online master’s degree program that it is offering in partnership with Coventry University in the United Kingdom. The new Master of Science (MS) in Vulnerability and Violence Reduction program is being offered through UMD’s Graduate School and begins with an in-person Launch Seminar at the Graduate School’s Baltimore campus. The 30-credit program concludes with an in-person Culminating Seminar held at Coventry University. The remaining program requirements – six didactic courses and a capstone project – are offered in a fully online format. Students in the program learn about theories of violence, vulnerable populations, and community-based violence reduction initiatives through a curriculum that is designed to prepare graduates for work in human rights and violence prevention organizations, international relief agencies, and educational institutions. The program can be completed in two years and allows students to take up to five years to earn their degree.

University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) – Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Program

The College of Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha has begun accepting applicants for a new online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with an Advanced Nurse Generalist curriculum. The program, which will enroll its first cohort this Fall, is designed for Registered Nurses (RNs) who hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and who have at least two years of full-time clinical nursing experience. The Advanced Nurse Generalist curriculum includes courses in nursing education, nursing leadership and administration, health promotion, health systems and policy, and healthcare finance, as well in advanced physiology, pharmacology, and patient health assessment (the “three p’s”). The program has a two-year, full-time completion plan and a three-year, part-time completion plan and includes two Advanced Clinical Application practicums for a total of 500 required internship hours that must be completed at program-approved sites.


New Program Launches