TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Distance Learning
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University (TTU), a state-supported comprehensive university, is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Created by legislative action in 1923, Texas Tech University is a four-year research university composed of ten colleges and two schools (Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Honors, Human Sciences, Mass Communication, Visual and Performing Arts, the Graduate School, and the School of Law).

Committed to teaching and the advancement of knowledge, Texas Tech provides the highest standards of excellence in higher education, fosters intellectual and personal development, and stimulates meaningful research and service.

Distance Learning Program

Offering flexibility and convenience, programs provide high-quality course work comparable to traditional on-campus courses. Texas Tech University now offers twenty degree programs and eight certification programs at a distance.

Delivery Media

Courses are delivered via the World Wide Web by two-way interactive video; on audiotape, videotape, and CD-ROM; and by printed correspondence, depending on the course or degree program. E-mail, threaded discussions, chat rooms, and traditional communicative methods allow students to correspond with instructors and peers.

Programs of Study

The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) degree is offered by the College of Arts and Sciences through Extended Studies. A highly flexible program, the B.G.S. degree features three core areas of concentration (in lieu of a major) that are tailored to students' interests or professional goals. Each concentration area consists of courses that are consistent with the minor in various subject disciplines, e.g., English or psychology.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers two graduate-level degrees in technical communication through the Department of English. The Master of Arts in technical communication is a nonthesis program, and professionals in fields such as technical communication, human resources, consulting, software design, graphic design, engineering, and management find this degree to be invaluable for career advancement. The Ph.D. in technical communication and rhetoric (TCR) provides a broad approach to technical communication, offering classes in areas such as editing, design, rhetorical theory, online documentation, publications management, and usability testing.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts offers a Master of Art Education degree. This program supports practicing teachers with contemporary social theories and strategies that strengthen their classroom, studio practice, and research skills in relation to art and visual culture. Course work can be completed over the Internet and during the summers at TTU Center at Junction in Junction, Texas, or in Lubbock, Texas.

The College of Engineering offers four different Distance Learning master's degrees: the interdisciplinary Master of Engineering degree (M.En.), which allows students to take courses from a number of engineering fields while specializing in one area; the Master of Science in Systems and Engineering Management (M.S.S.E.M.) through industrial engineering; the Master of Science in Computer Science (M.S.C.S.); and the Master of Science in Software Engineering (M.S.S.E.) through computer science.

The College of Education also offers several degrees at a distance. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in instructional technology is designed for K–12 educators and professional trainers who want to become online instructors, instructional designers, and managers of distance education programs. The Master of Education in special education has areas of emphasis in generic special education, educational diagnostician studies, autism, orientation and mobility, and vision. The Master of Education in language literacy education is designed to prepare teachers to provide reading and literacy leadership in their school districts. The Master of Education in educational leadership and principal professional certification preparation is a two-year, 45-hour cohort program leading to completion of the M.Ed. and preparation for midlevel management and school principal certification. This program is designed to accommodate working teachers who are interested in pursuing careers as elementary or secondary school principals in Texas.

The College of Human Sciences offers a Master of Science in restaurant/hotel and institutional management (RHIM) through the Department of Nutrition, Hospitality, and Retailing. This program is designed for industry professionals who work in management-level positions.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) offers several degrees at a distance. The Bachelor of Science in horticulture degree requires a minimum of 120 hours of undergraduate course work and focuses on the challenges and practices of genetics and breeding, propagation, biotechnology, production, management, handling and storage, marketing, and utilization of ornamental plants in the interior and exterior landscape. The Master of Science in horticulture is a terminal, 36-hour, nonthesis degree program that focuses on the art and science of cultivating edible and ornamental plants. The Master of Agriculture is a terminal, 36-hour, nonthesis degree program with four areas of emphasis (agronomy, horticulture, resource management, and agricultural education) designed to prepare students and professionals as leaders, managers, and executives in the agricultural sciences and natural resources areas. Because the degree is multidisciplinary, students are able to design a program to meet their unique career objectives. The Master of Science in crop science is a terminal, 36-hour, nonthesis degree program that includes the study of plant genetics, breeding, biotechnology, molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, weed control, and crop management. In conjunction with Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University also offers a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in agricultural education through the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications. Targeted toward midcareer professionals in agricultural education, this program requires 64 semester hours and spans four years.

A Master of Science in human development and family studies, with an emphasis in gerontology, is offered through the College of Human Sciences and the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA). The program is designed to prepare professionals who are either working directly with older people or involved in education and research that is related to the elderly.

The Graduate School offers a Master of Science in multidisciplinary science degree. This program is designed to meet the professional needs of K–12 science teachers and consists of graduate courses in the sciences, mathematics, and science education, culminating with the completion of a comprehensive portfolio project.

Special Programs

The College of Education offers seven certification preparation programs: Master Reading Teacher Certification Preparation Program, Post-baccalaureate Secondary Teacher Certification Preparation Program, Superintendent Professional Certification Program, Generic Special Education, Educational Diagnostician (Special Education), Visual Impairment (Special Education), and Orientation & Mobility (Special Education).

In addition, a Certificate in Gerontology is offered through the College of Human Sciences and the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance.

Student Services

College-assigned advisers provide information about accessing course materials online, register students for course work, disseminate course materials, and monitor students' progress through degree programs.

Credit Options

Distance learning college-credit courses or courses taken for continuing education credit are recorded on Texas Tech University transcripts. Distance learning course credits may be transferable to other institutions.

Faculty

Courses are taught by Texas Tech University faculty members or instructors who have been approved by the respective college. The majority of faculty members hold terminal degrees.

Admission

Prospective students should visit the University's Web site (http://www.ttu.edu) for detailed information about admission requirements.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees vary from program to program.

Financial Aid

Distance learning students may be eligible for a variety of financial aid opportunities. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office at 806-742-3681 for more information.

Applying

Most degree programs require applications to be submitted by specific deadlines. Students should visit http://www.de.ttu.edu to obtain specific application procedures and deadlines for degree programs.

CONTACT

For specific information about degree programs, students should visit the Extended Studies Web site (http://www.de.ttu.edu). For general inquiries, students should contact:

Michele Moskos
Marketing Director
Division of Outreach & Extended Studies
Texas Tech University
Box 42191
Lubbock, Texas 79409-2191
Phone: 800-MY-COURSE (800-692-6877) Ext. 276 (toll-free)
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.de.ttu.edu