VSU Ranked Among Most Affordable Online Colleges in Georgia

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University is one of 2015’s Most Affordable Online Colleges in Georgia, according to OnlineColleges.net.

“Online programs and courses are an area of consistent growth for VSU,” said Meg H. Giddings, director of VSU’s Office of Extended Learning. “Our programs integrate the flexibility of online programs with exceptional and student-focused faculty and support. From the post-traditional student who balances a job, children, and a spouse and is looking for fully online learning opportunities to the on-campus student customizing their student experience by integrating online and in-seat courses in a term, online programs and courses are making a customized learning opportunity a reality for many VSU students. Ultimately our graduates earn a degree from a traditional institution that they know and trust.”

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, a division of the United States Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, OnlineColleges.net compiled a list of the 21 most affordable accredited, not-for-profit institutions of higher education in Georgia offering a range of programs that can be completed fully online. VSU came in at No. 7.

VSU offers more than 40 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees; endorsements; certificates; and minors online.

Undergraduate students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice, French language and literature, legal assistant studies, or Spanish language and literature; a Bachelor of Applied Science in human capital performance; a Bachelor of Business Administration in management; a Bachelor of Science in office administration and technology or organizational leadership.

Graduate students can pursue a Master of Education in adult and career education, curriculum and instruction in accomplished teaching, early childhood education, health and physical education, instructional technology, or middle grades math and science; an Education Specialist in coaching pedagogy, educational leadership, instructional technology, school counseling, or teacher leadership; a Master of Science in criminal justice; a Master of Arts in English studies for language arts teachers; a Master of Science in Nursing in family psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner; a Master of Business Administration in health care administration or through the Georgia WebMBA intiative; a Doctor of Education in leadership; a Master of Library and Information Science; a Master of Public Administration or Doctor of Public Administration; a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education adapted curriculum or special education general curriculum

VSU also offers an endorsement in English to speakers of other languages, online teaching, reading, or gifted in-field; a certificate in European Union studies, online teaching, performance-based leadership, Spanish for professionals, teaching English to speakers of other languages, or library media; a minor in French language and literature or Spanish language and literature; and more.  

Some of VSU’s online programs are offered through eMajor, a state-wide initiative that allows colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia to collaborate on in-demand degree programs and offer them in an accelerated online format to students at their respective institutions.

“VSU offers a wide array of online programs at the undergraduate and graduate level,” Giddings said. “Our programs are designed to meet the needs of our traditional students as well as post-traditional students who wish to return to school to complete a degree they started previously or to start their collegiate career for the very first time.”

OnlineColleges.net’s sources and partners include the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, College Board, Institute of Education Sciences, United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Center on Budget and Police Priorities.

Call the Office of Extended Learning at (229) 245-6490 to learn more about online education opportunities available at VSU.

On the Web:

https://www.valdosta.edu/academics/extended-learning/

http://www.onlinecolleges.net

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities. 

The story above demonstrates VSU's commitment to meeting the following goals: 

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, and graduate a quality, diverse student population and prepare students for roles as leaders in a global society.

Goal 4: Foster an environment of creativity and scholarship.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.