UMFK Launches Innovative Business Program
The University of Maine at Fort Kent is offering a new online business program called the Business Management Online Degree Completion program.
The course can earn students 60-90 credits to help them finish their bachelor of science degree in business management. Dr. Kaisa Holloway Cripps and Dr. Michael Curran developed the online course for students who did not complete their education before leaving the university.
“For various reasons, some students do not finish their degree and are looking for a way to complete one that is flexible enough to fit their life and their budget,” said Dr. Kaisa Holloway Cripps.
The Business Management Online Degree Completion program is designed to increase the number of students getting their bachelor’s degree with a goal of 60% completion by 2025. Also, faculty wanted to reimagine higher education in 2021. The University of Maine System’s Maine Spark initiative inspired the program’s creation.
“Our degree completion offers students entering with 90 credits the option to graduate in as little as one year,” said Dr. Michael Curran. “Each class runs for seven weeks and a learner could join the degree program at a point six times during the year. You do not need to start at the beginning of a traditional semester, just start at the beginning of one of the seven-week classes.”
The seven-week course immerses students in the content and allows students to finish quicker than a 15-week session. The time frame of the program helps learners to increase their retention level and expedite their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree. Students can participate at different times of day depending on their schedule. The program is set up to make college credit transfers easier to UMFK.
UMFK business faculty create and produce the course content and deliver it on video with material specific to the program. There are weekly assignments and assessments as students and staff work on goals, progress and completing the course on time.
“This program is a result of the innovative approach UMFK faculty are taking to the reach the adult student population throughout the state and country,” said UMFK president and provost, Dr. Deb Hedeen. “There are a multitude of adult learners looking for a bachelor’s degree program that meets their needs. This is one such program.”
For more information on this program, go to https://www.umfk.edu/businessonline/ or call (207) 834-7600.