This January, Nicholls State University expanded into the world of online education with a program called Nicholls Online.
According to the Nicholls Online website, “This program is a way to receive a college degree or college credits offered completely online.” The classes offered run on an eight-week schedule and the courses begin in January, March, May, July and October.
“Nicholls Online is the brainchild of Laynie Barrilleaux, vice president of academic affairs,” Andrew Simoncelli, coordinator of distance education and associate professor of mass communication, said. “She knows a lot about the latest changes in higher education and she realized that Nicholls would need to increase our online push in order to stay competitive.”
The difference between the traditional form of coming to campus and Nicholls Online is that, if a Nicholls Online student takes three courses a semester, the student can complete the degree in three years instead of four years, the program website states.
“Though the University has been offering online courses since 2000, Nicholls Online was developed beginning in summer 2012, with 23 courses beginning on Jan. 23, 2013,” Simoncelli said.
Some courses offered this semester include biology, chemistry, English, computer science, history, math, psychology, Spanish, speech, University prep, nursing, and computer science.
Nicholls Online offers the following degrees:
– Bachelor of Arts in History
– Bachelor of Arts in English
– Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
– Bachelor of General Studies
– Bachelor of Science in General Family and Consumer Sciences
– BSN in Nursing (for students who have a registered nurse license that is not revoked, suspended, or made probationary)
– Master’s in Educational Leadership
According to the program website, “A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration is coming soon to the Nicholls Online program.”
Students who decide to participate in Nicholls Online will see a small increase in tuition and fees compared to traditional students. For example, based on the expectation of a Nicholls Online undergraduate student taking three three-hour courses a semester, tuition and fees total $2,250, with each hour worth $250, as stated by the program website. A traditional student taking three three-hour courses per semester can expect tuition and fees to total $2220.10, according to the 2012-2013 catalog.
As for a Nicholls Online graduate degree, a three-hour course total is $1,050, with each hour costing $350, whereas a traditional graduate three-hour course would cost $995.05.
According to the Nicholls Online website, “If students cannot complete the course work in the eight-week period due to extenuating circumstances, the cost to continue would be $100 per month.”
Another difference in fees between the program and traditional students is that out-of-state fees are not charged to Nicholls Online students.
“The target audience the University wishes to reach with Nicholls Online is adult learners who may have come to college years ago, but dropped out because life got in the way,” Simoncelli said. “Our students are full-time workers, parents and people that want to go to college, but just can’t make it to the tradition classroom.”
The process of applying for the Nicholls Online program is the same as a traditional student. Participants will have to complete an online application, pay the application fee, send transcripts and check to see if they qualify for financial aid.
Just as traditional students would attend orientation, Nicholls Online students will go through orientation online. The online orientation includes information about applications, getting started, computer skills, time management, communications, assessments, and student resources. Along with the information under the tabs, under the online orientation link there are some videos from faculty that can give more information, as they would in person.
The same faculty members that teach traditional classes on campus will also be instructors for the courses, the program website states.
“Faculty members that are instructing the Nicholls Online courses were required to take special training to be certified to do the programs online,” the program website states.
“Currently the program has 70 students enrolled into courses,” Simoncelli said. “This is a great number when we have done limited advertising to this point and have only made the official announcement near the end of last semester.”
For more information about Nicholls Online, students can visit www.nicholls.edu/nicholls-online/ or email inquiries to [email protected].