Texas State Adds 40 New Online Programs
Credit: d3sign / Moment / Getty Images- Dr. Thilla Sivakumaran, vice president of Texas State University (TXST) Global, told BestColleges that the university doesn’t want to waste online learners’ time since they may be juggling family, work, and an education.
- TXST is introducing 40 new online programs for 2025, including a bachelor of science in nursing, MBAs, and master’s in education degrees.
- According to Texas A&M, at least 5.4 million Texans have some college but no degree experience as of 2021.
Texas State University (TXST) is building an online portfolio of undergraduate and graduate programs and wants online learning to be as simple and personalized as it is at its in-person campuses.
In September, TXST announced 18 new online programs, including a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program, master of business administration (MBA) degrees, and several master’s in education programs.
Beginning in January, Dr. Thilla Sivakumaran, vice president of Texas State University Global said that number now has jumped to 40 new programs for 2025.
According to Texas A&M University, at least 5.4 million adults have some college but no degree experience as of 2021. TXST aims to accommodate learning for working adults who are earning their degrees online.
TXST began investing in online education in 2022 by working with online program manager Risepoint to help market to and recruit prospective students.
All of the university’s current online graduate degrees take anywhere from 10-22 months to complete, depending on the program, and all undergraduate degrees accept up to 90 transfer credit hours except for the 10-month BSN program.
TXST’s newest programs match the high demand for graduates with healthcare, education, and MBA degrees. All instruction will be 100% online, but for programs that require in-person clinicals and sessions, students will meet to satisfy accreditation requirements.
Valuing Online Learners’ Time
Sivakumaran wants to streamline the enrollment process to online education so students look forward to applying, taking classes, and continuing the next semester while working and caring for their family.
He said that although higher education doesn’t like to consider students as consumers, education is a product.
He said TXST makes the application, admissions, and advising processes as efficient and hassle-free as possible. He compared it to buying a car: If a dealership makes you jump through too many hoops, you’ll look elsewhere. You’ll do business with whoever provides the most efficient, friendly customer service.
“And so depending on who you are in the online world, we want to be conscious of your time because your time is very valuable to you,” Sivakumaran told BestColleges. “You have family. You have other things going on. So we want to make sure whatever we do is conscientious of that time.”
Adjusting Strategies for the Online Adult Learner
Sivakumaran said TXST tweaks its online services for its audience similarly to how it does for its in-person campuses.
Online students have access to all the same services as on-campus students, including telehealth mental health counseling and tutor.com, Texas State’s program for online tutoring across multiple subjects.
However, advising an online student looks different than advising a traditional on-campus student, and Sivakumaran is exploring ways to adjust it for a better experience. He said it’s not a one-size-fits-all since you could have a 25-year-old, a 31-year-old, and a 44-year-old in the same program.
“So the career service that we provide on campus is typically for a freshman who’s matriculating to a senior and graduating, whereas these students already have a job,” Sivakumaran said. “They’re looking for … ‘How do I enhance my resume to get noticed in the second level of moving out in my career?'”
Online or In-Person, Still a Bobcat
Sivakumaran wants online students to know that they are as much a part of the TXST community as an on-campus learner, so the university invites them to whatever on-campus events are happening.
“We say every Bobcat is the same,” Sivakumaran said. “So whether you’re on our San Marcos campus or Round Rock or online or our international campus, you’re still a Bobcat. It doesn’t matter. You get the same degree.”