Distance Learning - Kansas State University - Overview
Distance Education at Kansas State University
Kansas State University has been offering distance education degree programs since 1974. Each year, approximately 12,000 distance education students join over 23,800 students at the Manhattan, Kansas campus in their pursuit of a college education. At this time, Kansas State offers 9 bachelor's degree completion programs, 22 master's degree programs, 20 certificate programs, and a Ph.D. program K-State and its distance education programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition and fees depend on undergraduate or graduate status. Distance education students at Kansas State University are eligible for financial aid if they are accepted into a program as degree-seeking students taking at least 6 credit hours per semester.
Distance education students are also eligible for several scholarships specifically for distance education. For specific scholarships available visit
http://www.dce.k-state.edu/students/services/financial-aid
Admissions
Graduate application fees are $40 for U.S. residents and $55 for international students. Students seeking a graduate degree should check for program-specific application requirements.
Master's Programs
K-State offers master's degrees in 22 areas through distance education. These include academic advising, adult and continuing education, agribusiness, food science, academic advising, adult and continuing education, curriculum and instruction, dietetics, gerontology, psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational psychology, educational leadership, merchandising, and 7 engineering degree tracks, among others. Several of the programs, such as community development, dietetics, gerontology, and personal financial planning, are offered through Great Plains IDEA, a consortium of accredited research universities founded in 1994.
Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning
The distance education program at K-State offers one doctoral program, the Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning. This program is offered through the Institute of Personal Financial Planning, part of the School of Family Studies and Human Services. This is the first financial planning program in the country to be delivered largely online. As part of this hybrid program, students take fall and spring semester courses online and travel to the Manhattan campus for 10-day summer terms; the final summer term involves international travel to examine global markets.
Certificate Programs
Twenty distance education certificate programs are offered at Kansas State University. Non-degree, graduate, and undergraduate certificates are offered in such programs as biobased products and bioenergy, nonviolence studies, public administration, transportation engineering, horticultural therapy, management of animal health related organizations, conflict resolution, and food safety and defense. Many of the certificate courses may count as credit toward a master's degree.
Course Delivery Methods
Courses are offered online using K-State Online, a course management system designed to deliver an interactive, web-based classroom to students. K-State Online enables students with time and geographic constraints to take advantage of the flexibility of learning over the Internet. Distance course communication tools include e-mail, e-mail lists, message boards, streaming video, and chat rooms.