(Pre COVID-19) Carrie Peralta, instructional operations manager and Andrew Burnop, instructional operations supervisor (foreground) checking on DEN@Viterbi classroom operations. Photo courtesy of Binh Tran.
On January 25th, U.S News & World Report released their annual rankings for the best distance-education programs offered by universities across the United States for 2022. Per the report, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering remains one of the nation’s top online graduate programs, with top 5 rankings for graduate programs in engineering and computer information technology (computer science).
This year’s rankings assessed 1,733 online programs offering master’s degrees in a range of subjects. The USC Viterbi School ranked No. 4 in the computer science category and No. 5 in the overall engineering category.
USC Viterbi offers 41 master’s degrees and five graduate certificates through its innovative online delivery method: the Distance Education Network (DEN@Viterbi). DEN@Viterbi students receive access to the same faculty, academic requirements and curriculum as on-campus students, providing engineering professionals with the opportunity to gain the same high quality USC degree, completely online. The program offers master’s degrees in areas ranging from electrical and civil engineering, to astronautical engineering and computer science.
“The DEN@Viterbi model has consistently improved upon the hybrid model that everyone had to adjust to during this pandemic,” said Binh Tran, USC Viterbi associate dean, who oversees DEN@Viterbi. “We are very excited to see the latest rankings for our program and USC Viterbi School. There are a considerable number of schools completing these surveys and we hope that the information helps guide prospective students as they look at online program options for graduate engineering programs, particularly the breadth and depth of our programs.”
According to Candace House Teixeira, USC Viterbi associate dean of corporate engagement and programs, DEN@Viterbi’s blended delivery model makes the program stand out.
“Online students are in the same classroom, engaging in the same academic experience, as an on-campus student,” Teixeira said. “There’s no difference in terms of admission standards, or academic rigor, or faculty – which is really unique compared with other online graduate degree programs.”
With the onset of the COVID epidemic, few universities were as prepared to accommodate the changing requirements for remote learning as DEN@Viterbi. Started in 1972, DEN@Viterbi has set the standards for distance education excellence for decades. The program currently supports close to 900 DEN students.
Over the past year, the DEN@Viterbi program has made changes to several areas of their delivery systems to further enrich the online experience, such as implementing enhanced support for more faculty teaching from home. According to Tran, the program also deployed several additional features to faculty and courses to enhance course delivery and interactive options for students, including a new lecture capture system, discussion tools and various online assessment tools.
“As many universities now have experience with new online delivery systems, we understand that there is a difference between flexibilities for faculty and students and quality for program services and student experiences that most haven’t been able to address properly,” Tran said. “It’s a unique aspect of our infrastructure and program to have this experience with supporting faculty and students inside and outside the classroom.”
Published on January 25th, 2022
Last updated on January 25th, 2022
