The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is partnering with 2U for an online Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) degree that will begin in 2017.

2U began discussion about creating the online degree with Maxwell a year and a half ago, said Andrew Hermalyn, regional general manager for 2U. The degree is expected to start with its first students in July 2017 after Syracuse University and New York state approve the degree.

After approval, Hermalyn said marketing for the degree could begin and added that faculty members have already approved the degree. Courses have also been selected and faculty members are working on course syllabi and structure.

2U is a company that specializes in online degree programs at colleges and universities. The company provides schools with the infrastructure they need to enroll students all over the world in their programs, according to the 2U website.

“This is an exciting degree for 2U. Maxwell is the perfect partner and exceptionally well-known globally,” Hermalyn said. “We start with just one degree and it’s possible it expands over time.”

The first school 2U partnered with at SU was the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in February 2014. 2U has also partnered with the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the School of Information Studies and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Most recently, the College of Law announced a partnership with 2U for the creation of an online hybrid juris doctor degree program.

The partnership with Maxwell is 2U’s first partnership with a No. 1 ranked school. The multiple partnerships 2U has with SU will lead to exciting things happening across the school, Hermalyn said.

Maxwell was the first school in the nation to offer an executive education program for Master’s degrees and training programs in public administration. Since 1964, more than 10,000 students have completed the mid-career graduate degrees at Maxwell.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the EMPA degree at Maxwell as the top degree program in the world for graduate programs in public affairs since rankings began. The school is trying to ensure that the quality of the online program is the same as the residential program already in place, said Michael Wasylenko, senior associate dean of Maxwell.

“It’s not a residential experience, and there is something to be gained from being here,” Wasylenko said. “But as far as what we’re teaching, what the assignments will be, what you get out of the program, that should be similar to the classroom experience.”

The online program will have a total of 10 courses — or 30 credits — that can be completed in five quarters, Wasylenko said. The courses each take three months, so the degree, if attended full time with two courses per quarter, can be finished in one year and three months.

“There’s some networking here as you get to know people,” Wasylenko said. “If you work in, say, Albany, you know that group, but there may be other folks online who work in other state capitals who can expand your network.”

The degree is not intended to be as large as some of the other programs already available through 2U at SU, Wasylenko said. The degree is aimed at working professionals who have jobs that they do not want to leave to attend a residential graduate program.

“It’s an area we have to watch and participate in. I don’t think we can ignore the opportunity. I think it’s an opportunity to expand our reach into the training of public servants and leaders,” Wasylenko said. “That’s kind of what our mission is and (this degree) helps us there.”

Published on April 25, 2016 at 9:29 pm

Contact Katelyn: kmfaubel@syr.edu