(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has expanded its selection of online advanced degrees with this month’s launch of a master of science in education program with three areas of concentration.

The program, designed primarily for working adult learners, provides pathways for career advancement and leadership roles in schools, corporations and nonprofit agencies. Students choose between concentrations in Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Adult Education, and Curriculum and Instruction in STEM Education.

The master’s in education program consists of courses taught by SOU faculty members that total 45 credit hours, regardless of the concentration chosen. The program can be completed in as few as 16 months, for tuition totaling $16,605.

SOU’s new offerings will join an online master of business administration program with options for five concentrations that began in January 2018 and now serves more than 100 students.

SOU offers both the online MBA and the new online master’s in education programs in cooperation with Academic Partnerships, a Texas-based educational support company that works with select universities across the country to provide online degree programs.

Academic Partnerships offers staff and expertise to promote the programs and recruit prospective students, studying the non-traditional student population to help its partner institutions create effective strategies for adult learners.

SOU provides faculty and academic programing, and aligns its coursework with current trends in schools and the workplace by maintaining close connections with regional employers.

The new programs at SOU offer five start dates per year. Candidates with bachelor’s degrees in any discipline will be considered for admission; no teaching license or GRE score is required.

The master’s in education curriculum will feature real-world applications designed to enhance leadership skills on the job and in the broader community.

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