First Degree of the Future grads set for August

The future is now for Iowa State Online. The first cohort from the master's program in digital health -- an ISU Degree of the Future -- will graduate in August.

Launched in January 2023, Iowa State Online focuses on serving workforce professionals looking to reskill or upskill in their careers. "Get to Next" is Iowa State Online's marketing campaign -- a campaign that was developed to complement messaging in the "Cyclone in the Making" undergraduate campaign while building off the university’s master brand. 

"These are people who have already begun a career and made it, but now they are looking for that next step," said Iowa State Online director Susan Wohlsdorf-Arendt. "It's a campaign that stays true to the one university idea."

Iowa State Online staff helped colleges and departments develop three online programs with several more on the way.  They are:

• Master of digital health
• Master of family and consumer sciences with specialization in family and community services
• Cybersecurity undergraduate certificate

The offerings will increase this fall with the addition of the master of applied statistics and master of supply chain management. Arendt said one of the biggest differences between Iowa State Online and other online options is student outcomes.

"When we admit students, we are committed to helping them graduate, and that is not always the case across the online learning space," she said. "With this first graduating cohort, it will give us proof of concept, and we will be able to show the success these graduates have with their degree going forward."

Support and serve

As a support and service unit, Iowa State Online works with colleges and departments to strategically launch online programs in areas of demand. Instructors create course material with Iowa State Online staff assisting throughout the process.

For example, during the development of the digital health master's program, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's instructional design team assisted with course design to promote engaged learning, and Iowa State Online staff developed a marketing and promotion campaign to attract students. One of the most successful promotions was online webinars during which prospective students learn about the program and ask questions of an instructor live on YouTube.

"Thirty percent of people who attended a webinar applied and enrolled in the program," Arendt said. "Individuals looking for an online program make quick decisions, and our fastest time from the end of a webinar to application was less than an hour."

Iowa State Online staff also provide market research to colleges thinking about adding online programs.

"We want to identify if the demand is there. Is there interest from prospective students and is it something that will have longevity?" Arendt said.

A different kind of student

Arendt said there are significant differences between an online and on-campus student. One of the biggest is how they choose an institution. Online students search websites and generally apply to the first or second institution that accepts them, Arendt said. Iowa State Online staff are working with admissions, the registrar's office and Graduate College to streamline the admissions process for online programs, mostly in the graduate space.

"We are targeting those adult professionals with obligations, so school may not be the first priority because they have a family and a job," she said. "A traditional grad student might reach out to a faculty member they want to work with and develop a relationship for a year before they apply."

Iowa State Online programs also allow students some flexibility to start programs on their schedule. Numerous six-week certificate programs give students options to start at various times of the year. Several online master's programs admit students in the fall, spring and summer to allow students to start immediately, a difference from on-campus options.

Front door function

Strong search engine optimization also has made Iowa State Online's student support team popular among prospective students for questions about the university. Arendt said between June and August of last year, the team handled a thousand questions ranging from interest in an online program to when dorms open for move-in.

"We are here to help all students. Although we don't answer some of those questions, we connect them with the people who can," Arendt said.