DeVry University Online

DeVry University Online Highlights

• Online program arm of DeVry University, one of the largest higher education systems in North America
• Online degree programs since 1998
• Same nationally-recognized accreditation as DeVry University

About DeVry University Online

DeVry University, a learning institution founded in 1931 and with over 55,000 students, began its online education programs in 1998 for graduate students and in 2001 for undergraduates. The school views its online university as valuable for serving students that need flexibility in when and where they learn.

DeVry's online university offers many of the same technology, business, and management courses available onsite at the school's over 90 North American locations. Their online university classes also are also taught by the same faculty that teach onsite. In conjunction with DeVry's online degree programs, many courses apply a hybrid model that combine both onsite and teacher led online activities.

DeVry University Online Academic Programs

DeVry University has increased its online course offerings every year and plans to continue to expand these. All of DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management masters degree programs are offered online. Undergraduate program areas that are available online include accounting, business administration, computer engineering, computer technology, electrical engineering, health information technology, communication networks, and technical management.

The school strives to deliver a uniform and high level of quality for all its online and onsite courses. For example, DeVry curriculum experts specify objectives for each course, prepare materials, tests, and select books and other resources from which each instructor works. Courses are constantly being updated to help ensure that they remain current.

Evaluation of students taking online courses considers their work within team and group activities, involvement in online discussion threads, individual performance, projects, and papers. These activities together with examinations enable the school to assess how well students are achieving course objectives.

Learning Options at DeVry University Online

DeVry students have the anytime / anywhere flexibility of online studies. Further, they have the option of blending online and onsite coursework. A student might, for instance, take a course at a local DeVry campus while at the same time, or in a later semester, take a course online.

DeVry's year round class offerings also enable students to accelerate completion of their degree programs – a four year degree might be completed in three years for instance.

Through DeVry's mix of online education technologies, students have multiple resources to make use of. These include:

• The eCollege Web site, which makes available course syllabi and assignments, a virtual library and other resources
• Text and course materials, which are accessible through an online bookstore
• CD-ROM / DVD companion disks
• Study notes and instructor lectures

Faculty

DeVry faculty are practitioners in their fields and bring real-world working experiences to their classrooms. Faculty members go through intensive training as part of DeVry's quality assurance of its degree programs. For faculty that also teach online, each member goes through specialized training to prepare them to best utilize this form of delivery.

Student Life

Students can get to know each other and faculty and share experiences and perspectives through DeVry's online platform, named eCollege. For example one instructor reports that students use eCollege's Q&A forum for more than just class information – they exchange pictures, stories, and life events. Another instructor reports that she was surprised to find that she had more contact and in-depth discussion with her students than with an onsite course. She elaborated that everyone must be involved and she can more readily have one-on-one dialogs.

As DeVry is focused on career-oriented degree programs, the school considers career services as a key part of what they deliver. The school draws upon a large staff of career experts to help students with career choices, resumes, interviews, and searching for positions. The school has even built a job database just for the use of its student community.

DeVry's online library supports online students with both print and electronic resources. Thousands of periodicals are available online through the library. Librarians are available online and in real-time to assist students' research needs.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Admission requirements vary by program at DeVry. All require at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Other considerations include earlier work and academic experiences, grades, and placement tests.

Financial Assistance is available to those who qualify. DeVry University helps students review alternatives for financing their education - over 85% make use of some type of assistance. These include scholarships, for which DeVry itself provides millions of dollars per year. DeVry's staff can also assist students as they seek grants, loans, jobs, and employer reimbursements.