Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool) and the learning platform 2U officially have announced a new collaboration in the field of online learning. The partnership will further improve the iSchool experience in online education by combining its e-programs with 2U’s technology-enabled services.
The online program will be called “iSchool@Syracuse,” writes John O’Brien of Syracuse.com. It includes online degree programs for an MS in Information Management, an MS in Library Science, and an MS in Library Science with School Media Specialization, notes the official website of The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University.
The program will encompass face-to-face e-classes given by the iSchool faculty and practical learning examples from the real world. Online students will be expected to fulfill the same academic requirements as students in traditional iSchool programs. The application procedure for Fall 2016 starts in April.
In comparison to other e-learning programs, the online degree offerings at the iSchool do not differ from the on-campus programs. They share the same syllabus, tuition fees, and faculty and the teaching staff is fully qualified in online pedagogy.
Furthermore, iSchool focuses on direct contact with students in online courses, with iSchool touting flexible study schedules so that students can learn anytime, anywhere. However, there is a limited residency requirement.
Earlier this year the iSchool was ranked No. 11 in the best online degree programs for graduate computer information technology in the United States by U.S. News and World Report, notes J.D. Ross of The Syracuse University News. Selectivity, graduation rates, and student services were among the key factors to determine the best schools. The director of online education at iSchool, Victoria Williams, said that she was proud of this achievement in a highly competitive area such as online learning:
“The iSchool’s online programs attract working professionals who require the flexibility and access to faculty expertise that our online programs provide. Our online programs also allow us to draw from a pool of high-quality distance faculty members and instructors.”
In 2014, iSchool was ranked No 1 in U.S. News and World Report’s best graduate schools rankings and No. 9 for online computer information technology programs for veterans.
The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University was founded in 1896. Since 1993, it has offered a wide range of graduate level online learning opportunities to students from all over the world. Now it has more than 50 faculty members teaching over 1,400 students in graduate and undergraduate programs in information policy, information behavior, information management, information systems, information technology, information services, library science, data science and information security, writes Joshua Bolkan of Campus Technology.
2U partners are among the leading providers of cloud-based operating infrastructure to academic institutions around the world.
Syracuse University and 2U have already successfully worked together to establish the online learning programs of SU’s School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
