Online Program

Why the Kent MPA Online?

In designing an entire online program, our primary concern is to assure any prospective student that taking a web based course in the Kent-MPA program will be as good or better than what is presented in the traditional classroom setting. This means offering course content of the highest academic quality, courses which are stimulating, interesting, and cost no more than the public tuition rates we charge for our traditional on campus courses.

Our Method of Delivering Online Courses

In each course we provide the online technologies common to online courses almost everywhere

• Online Syllabi
  
• Online Lectures
  
• Online Discussion Boards
  
• Email Electronic Submission of Homework
  
• Electronic Return of Graded Homework
  
• Built in Electronic Links to Required Readings
  
• Built in Electronic Links to Research Resources
  
• Live Audio & Video Conferencing in Each Class
  

But what we also provide in each course are live audio and video conferencing class sessions directly from each student’s home to every other student’s home in the course. This technology included free in the course tuition permits live discussions and debates on a bi-weekly basis. In addition to the ongoing discussions during theses sessions we use online blackboards which permit a professor to write on their pc monitor and this appears simultaneously on every student’s screen. These blackboards can then be saved by the student for future reference. These live sessions provide breakout and small group discussions as well. In addition, there are synchronized web browsers permitting all students to go any website simultaneously. While all this is going on, students can text chat about the course content to each other. These live sessions are used to support the common web based technologies common to most online courses. Our students report this mixture of live class sessions and web based support tools makes an enormous difference in the quality and enjoy ability of online learning. It’s great to hear a voice at the other end of the line and have your questions or comments responded to immediately!

Tuition for Online MPA Degree for Out of State Students NOW THE SAME as Ohio Students Pay

Beginning in Fall 2010, the costs of the Kent-MPA online degree program for out of state students will be set to the same level as charged to Ohio residents. This totally eliminates any differential that existed up to this semester. Now students from anywhere in the United States may earn the Kent-MPA degree by paying the same basic rates as in state students in Ohio. The only additional charge is a processing fee of $30 per course. For the most current in-state graduate rates, please visit the Kent State University Bursar’s website.

Comparative Analysis

School	Accredited	Fully Online	Credit Hours	Resident Cost/Hour	Non-Resident Cost/Hour
Kent State University	Yes	Yes	39	$422.00	$432.00
University of Akron	Yes	No	48	$410.83	$679.93
Bowling Green State University	No	No	39	$444.00	$793.00
The Ohio State University	Yes	No	55	$400.00	$895.00
Cleveland State University	Yes	No	45	$454.50	$740.00
University of Phoenix	No	Yes	36	$760.00	$760.00

At any time during your visit, please feel free to contact me at (330-672-7903) or email address (mcassell@kent.edu). I will get back to you as soon as possible.