Published: July 13, 2008 10:39 pm      

Penn Highlands, Clarion team up on master’s program

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and Clarion University of Pennsylvania are joining forces.

Clarion will offer a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction degree program beginning in January with classes held at Penn Highlands’ Richland and Ebensburg sites.

“It’s an outreach graduate-level program that is aimed at professional educators,” said Bill Williams, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Clarion University.

“We have designed a program that will be attractive to educators and one that takes into consideration the kinds of demands they have in their lives such as working full time.”

With that in mind, those enrolled take only one class each fall and spring semester and two classes in the summer.

“This program can be completed in three years,” Williams said. “It requires only 15 hours of direct contact for each three-credit course, and that is coupled with online classroom activities.”

And Williams said you can’t beat the tuition.

“We are offering this at a reduced rate for those who enroll for the January start of $910 for a three-credit course, so you are able to get a master’s degree for less than $10,000,” Williams said.

“It’s a good deal for everyone all around, and we believe we are providing an excellent service.”

Erica Reighard, associate dean of instruction at Penn Highlands, agreed and added that the partnership provides a flexible and innovative option.

“This allows for increased accessibility to a master’s degree program for working professionals in education,” she said.

Williams said Clarion chose to collaborate with Penn Highlands because the university wanted to reach teachers in western and central Pennsylvania.

“We’ve been operating this program for two years with 200 students enrolled at five sites across the state,” he said. “We took a look at the map and decided Penn Highlands was ideal for us, so teachers from the Ohio line to Harrisburg will be able to enroll at this site.”

He added that the possibility of additional collaboration with Penn Highlands is a possibility, perhaps adding an undergraduate program.

For more information on how to apply, visit clarion.edu/extended/cte or call the Center for Teaching Excellence: 393-2776.