Press Release

UMassOnline Kicks Off Fifth Year with
Six New Online Programs

New Online Programs:  Domestic Violence Prevention; Forensic Criminology; Hospitality and Tourism, Casino, and Food Service Management; and Continuing Medical Education from UMass Medical School  

Boston, MA—January 20, 2005—Kicking off its fifth year and fifth spring semester, UMassOnline today introduces six new online programs, bringing its portfolio to 45 online degree and certificate programs. With the addition of online continuing medical education (CME) courses from UMass Medical School, UMassOnline now represents every campus in the UMass system.

UMassOnline’s six new programs extend the convenience and quality of UMassOnline’s accredited online education to professionals in hospitality and tourism, heath care, social services, hospital and health agency administration, and criminal justice. 

UMassOnline’s new online programs are:

        · Continuing Medical Education – The UMass Medical School partners with UMassOnline to deliver a new online education initiative that will help busy physicians and health care providers stay abreast of current trends, new procedures and techniques. The online courses are a natural extension of the Medical School's Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program which has been delivering 'live' lectures by national experts for many years.

        · Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management – UMass Amherst delivers this broadly based introductory program that is intended for individuals who wish to develop their practical managerial skills and gain a base for pursuing a career in the industry.

        · Certificate in Casino Management - UMass Amherst provides students with an opportunity to learn the casino industry business, to learn about the legal and regulatory aspects of gaming, and to recognize the relationship of the casino industry to the overall tourism environment.

        · Certificate in Food Service Management - UMass Amherst prepares students to manage at a competent level of knowledge and skill in the food service industry and help students gain a deeper insight into food management areas for job enrichment, promotional consideration or possible future positions.

        · Graduate Certificate in Domestic Violence Prevention - Individuals working in health, social services and law enforcement can benefit from gaining expertise in the prevention and response to domestic violence. This certificate, delivered by UMass Lowell, brings together courses in the areas of Criminal Justice, Community Social Psychology and Health Professions and provides a focused program for those working in settings where domestic violence is an issue.

        · Graduate Certificate in Forensic Criminology – UMass Lowell introduces this certificate for people in the fields of criminal justice, nursing/public health, law and paralegal studies, psychology, and social work who wish to expand their expertise in forensic criminology including mental health applications.

 "These six new programs, and especially the new participation of UMass Medical School, are a strong addition to UMassOnline’s portfolio," says UMassOnline CEO David Gray. "UMassOnline enters its fifth year with all five UMass campuses and the best UMass faculty fully engaged in a highly innovative, collaborative effort to create new learning options for today’s savvy professionals and life long learners. The extent to which we can continue to broaden access to a UMass education will be the ultimate measure of our success," concludes Gray.

To learn more about UMassOnline’s courses and degree programs, visit UMassOnline at www.UMassOnline.net.

About UMassOnline:

UMassOnline, the University of Massachusetts' system online education consortium, delivers accredited, online programs from UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and UMass Medical School via interactive, Web-based learning systems. Online programs are closely coupled with their face-to-face counterparts enabling UMassOnline to offer fully accredited (NEASC) and nationally-recognized programs online.  Today, UMassOnline delivers 45 graduate, undergraduate and non-credit degrees and certificates, as well as 300 online courses annually, to diverse, geographically disparate learners. Online programs span the broad range of academic disciplines that UMass is known for: education, IT, nursing, public health, management, criminal justice, hospitality and tourism, and the liberal arts. Introduced in early 2001 by the University President and Board of Trustees to serve community educational needs and increase access to a UMass education, UMassOnline supported more than 16,000 enrollments and generated $15 million in revenue in 2004.

Contact:                

Leslie Granese, UMassOnline, (617) 287-7111, lgranese@umassonline.net