Our faculty teach what they do. They are not simply mentors or coaches, they practice their disciplines during the day and teach at night or on weekends. Our students finish their programs in large part because of our faculty, who are practitioner-scholars and understand that there are a lot of real-world demands on the schedules of our students.

Our university has a history of offering education in new and innovative ways with the goal of providing a quality education to every student in a way that helps her or him learn. One of the primary and most popular modes in which we offer classes today – from the bachelor’s to the doctoral level – is online. That is why I am pleased that our university was once again recognized by U.S. News & World Report for having exceptional online programs. Our 2018 rankings include:

• Best Online Bachelor’s Programs – Top 50 in the nation for the sixth consecutive year
• Best Online MBA Programs
• Best Online Graduate Business Programs
• Best Online Graduate Information Technology Programs

While we are proud of being ranked with the University of Georgia and Creighton University in the best bachelor’s degree programs, it is what these recognitions point to that matters most: quality curriculum and expert instruction from our faculty.

The U.S. News rankings aren’t the only testimony to the quality of our online programs, our students often comment on their experiences themselves. Recently, alumnus Brendan Osburn who earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice had this to say:

“It was very convenient because I was able to fit the online schedule around my corrections schedule. I had a lot of mandatory overtime so going to in-person classes was out of the question. Being able to study on my down time or even at work made it possible. Without those online classes, I don’t know if I’d have been able to get it done.”

His experience is not uncommon. Sophia Haynes, who is earning her Doctor of Education in Leadership online from Florida, shared a similar experience:

“The online format has worked out for me as someone who has other priorities and can’t make it to a set location each day. But I can find time to sit down and look at [the coursework] and still be connected. If it wasn’t online, it wouldn’t have worked out for me.”

Stories like these speak to the valuable work we do in creating access to education. CityU was a pioneer and remains a leader in the online education space, and because of that, we’re furthering opportunities for our students. Online also provides our practitioner-scholars a convenient way to teach. It works for their schedules, too. Their desire to teach, their aspiration, is simple and is what drives us all to do our best: help CityU students succeed.