Three Different Degrees Available for Fall Quarter 2002

It happens quite frequently. A graduate student, in the middle of his or her studies, is relocated by an employer to another region of the country. There are other colleges near the new home, but none have the specific program that the student is looking for. Furthermore, few, if any, computer science graduate schools in the nation accept more than two courses as transfer credit. Without the opportunity to finish the degree online, the student will have wasted a great deal of time and money.

Situations like the one above are a major reason why DePaul University’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) is offering three master’s degree programs online via distance learning, beginning in the fall quarter of 2002. The three degrees recently received accreditation by the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission. The master’s degrees will be offered in computer science, distributed systems and telecommunications. Coursework and lectures will be delivered to students through DePaul’s unique Course OnLine distance learning system, and students will receive an identical amount of support and access to services as students on campus.

“We have seen a consistent increase in the demand for distance learning degree programs, and we are responding to a trend that is likely to continue,” said Helmut P. Epp, dean of DePaul CTI. “In order to provide more opportunities for students to learn and meet their educational goals, we felt it was necessary to establish new options.”

Epp estimated that approximately 20 percent of CTI students will be distance learners (students who take more than half of their courses in a distance learning environment) by 2004. A wide range of courses will be available in the three degree programs from the start. “Human beings are social creatures, so the classroom will never be obsolete,” Epp added. “However, the future of higher education is going to have some changes in store. These opportunities will help to make learning more diverse.”

Course OnLine is a distance learning system that captures entire lectures on video and audio, including faculty computer presentations and notes written on an electronic whiteboard during a class. The visual and audio elements of the lecture are automatically synchronized and downloaded onto a password-protected Web page that students can access six hours after a class concludes. The system, developed by DePaul CTI, is used in more than 250 classes at the university.

DePaul CTI is the largest computer science program in the country. The undergraduate program enrolls 1,949 students and offers six different degrees. More than 2,300 students are enrolled in the graduate program, which offers nine different master’s degrees. DePaul CTI also features a doctoral degree program in computer science. For more information on DePaul CTI or the new distance learning master’s degree programs, visit www.cs.depaul.edu.