Middle Tennessee State University nearly doubles online course offerings since 2020

Middle Tennessee State University’s online course offerings now total 54, thanks to an 86% increase since 2020. The school has reaffirmed its commitment to offering flexible options for its students and to remain competitive within the demands of the workforce.

According to an article on Middle Tennessee State University's website, Trey Martindale, who is the school’s chief online learning officer, said, “Our online programs have many support services geared toward adult students and their unique needs. We understand adult students, and our programs and services are designed for their success.”

According to the school, more than half of its current students are enrolled in at least one online course. 

Vice Provost Brian Hinote noted that the online offerings of the school come along with an emphasis on individualized planning to to help online students succeed, saying, “With our ongoing expansion in distance education, MTSU Online is committed to providing students with a wide variety of quality academic programs to expand their current and future career options.”

One of the ways the school delivers on its promise to help online learners is by offering Prior Learning Assessments, which MTSU describes as a program that allows its adult students to earn two years of college credit for work they have done in their careers.

Chris Brennan, who is a detective with the Metro Nashville Police, is someone who has taken advantage of the PLA opportunity to further his education with Middle Tennessee State University. Brennan joined Middle Tennessee State University Provost Mark Byrnes on WKRN-TV’s “Local on 2” television program on October 30 to discuss Prior Learning Assessments and the university’s online programs.

Brennan became a police officer in 1994 and worked patrol until 2001. He had been recruited to the police department before he graduated college and eventually worked on the crime scene unit before becoming a detective. He now works on the Specialized Investigations Division tech unit using technology to process evidence.

Almost 30 years after he intended to earn a bachelor’s degree, Brennan graduated this past August from Middle Tennessee State University. He utilized the Prior Learning Assessment option to earn nearly 40 hours of college credit from his experience at the police department. 

“I don’t know if I ever would have finished if not for the PLA. I was able to identify the points in my career that would maximize my credit,” said Brennan.

Among the new online course offerings at Middle Tennessee State University are a Master’s in Business Administration, a Master of Science in Finance, and Bachelor degrees in Criminology, Music Business, and Leisure and Sport Management.

For more information about Middle Tennessee State University, visit the school’s website.