Fairfield adds four online master’s programs
FAIRFIELD — Fairfield University is adding new online master’s degree programs in design, communication and business.
Spokespeople for the school said that the new additions are part of Fairfield’s long- term goal to reach a broader range students, with an emphasis on online instruction. The plan predates COVID- 19 and predictions that more college and universities will implement flexible learning options following the pandemic.
“We recognize that there are thousands of people that we can reach this way from all over the country, and even around the world,” President Mark Nemec said in a statement. “As a Jesuit institution, it is our duty to take the lead in this space — to meet people where they are, and to share with them our values, our emphasis on academic excellence and personalized care of the whole person, which is the distinctive character of our tradition.”
Fairfield will begin accepting registration for 100- percent online programs this month in interior design, communication, management and an MBA in Business Analytics. Fairfield previously had offered a Master of Science in business analytics.
The four new offerings bring Fairfield’s slate of online graduate degrees and certificates to 20 programs. The school offers advanced work in cybersecurity, healthcare administration, educational technology, creative writing and marketing analytics and strategy, among others.
“Interior design, management and analytics were chosen as programs where the expertise we had to offer met the need in the graduate student market,” Provost Christine Siegel said in an email. “There were niches that we were confident we could fill with programs that brought the best of a Fairfield education forward.”
“With interior design, we have an opportunity to be one of two programs offered fully online in the country,” added Jill Buban, the college’s Vice President for Digital Strategy and Online Education.
Officials said that the school’s focus on remote offerings was fueled by an impression that online learning is increasingly becoming a desirable option for students, particularly at the post- graduate level.
“As this has been the focus of my work for over a decade, I am a bit jaded,” said Buban. “However, there is so much national research that consistently continues to highlight the desire of adult learners to return to school in the online environment as it fits their increasingly busy lifestyle and meets them anytime, anywhere.”