New Consortium of Leading Universities Will Move Forward With Transformative, For-Credit Online Education Program

Semester Online™ will be first of its kind featuring rigorous, innovative, live courses

LANDOVER, Md., Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, a group of the nation's leading universities announced plans to launch a new, innovative program that transforms the model of online education. Consortium members include Brandeis University, Duke University, Emory University, Northwestern University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Rochester, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University and Washington University in St. Louis. The new online education program, Semester Online, will be the first of its kind to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to take rigorous, online courses for credit from a consortium of universities. The program is delivered through a virtual classroom environment and interactive platform developed by 2U, formerly known as 2tor.

Beginning in the fall of 2013, Semester Online will be available to academically qualified students attending consortium schools as well as other top schools across the country. Information about Semester Online courses and the application process will be available in early 2013. The consortium anticipates adding a small number of institutions prior to next year's launch.

Initial Semester Online courses will feature primarily the same faculty and curricula as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, with additional courses designed for the online format to be included in the future. Through a state-of-the-art virtual classroom, students will participate in discussions and exercises, attend lectures and collaborate with peers while guided by renowned professors—as close to the on-campus class experience as is currently possible online.

Semester Online will offer students unprecedented opportunities for curricula enhancement. They will have the chance to take advantage of unique course offerings from some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, courses they would not otherwise have access to. They will be able to work, travel, participate in off-campus research programs or manage personal commitments that in the past would have meant putting their studies on hold. 

Semester Online also provides exciting opportunities to consortium faculty members. Participating professors will have the chance to take part in a first-class online learning experience and engage with the best and brightest students across the country.

"There isn't any question that online education is an important and impactful extension of our academic offering," said Ed Macias, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs of Washington University in St. Louis and catalyst for organizing the consortium. "The challenge has been developing a web-based program that mirrors the richness and robustness of the in-classroom experience and applies credit toward earning a degree. Semester Online does just that. The program will be a significant step forward."

"This is another way to test, learn from and benefit from the opportunities and challenges the online and digital worlds provide for us. We're doing this to offer our students even better options to enrich their education," said Peter Lange, provost of Duke University.

"Students from all over the country, or even from abroad, will be able to attend these online classes in real time—classes of about 15 to 20 students taught by professors at some of the nation's leading universities," said Daniel Linzer, Northwestern University provost. "These courses will expand curricular options for students and will enable consortium schools to work collaboratively to develop the most innovative and successful ways to utilize new learning technologies."

"Now, no matter where they are in the world, students will have the opportunity to engage in internships and work experiences, travel or manage personal commitments while continuing their collegiate academic journey," said Earl Lewis, Emory University provost.

The consortium is partnering with 2U, formerly known as 2tor, the leader in creating online academic experiences for top universities. Semester Online will feature many of the same elements that 2U offers its prestigious master's degree program partners, including live class sessions that connect students and professors; compelling, richly produced, self-paced course materials; and a strong social network that allows students to connect and build relationships with peers online.

"By making for-credit online undergraduate coursework a reality for these top schools, Semester Online represents an important milestone for undergraduate education, one that will influence the wider adoption of for-credit online learning across all of higher education," said Chip Paucek, co-founder and CEO of 2U. "Semester Online demonstrates 2U's mission to help great schools go online and provide high-quality learning experiences for credit, empowering students to continue their education as they follow their ambitions, anywhere."

"All of us will be working with our respective faculty, staff and students to operationalize the program and develop guidelines for our students prior to launch next fall," said Macias. "There are further issues to resolve, however, it is tremendously exciting that this group of leading institutions has come together and is committed to moving forward the concept of Semester Online." 

For more information, please visit semesteronline.org. Additional information about Semester Online courses and the application process will be available in early 2013.

About Semester Online

Semester Online is the first-of-its-kind program to offer for-credit undergraduate courses through a consortium of top-tier universities that includes Brandeis University, Duke University, Emory University, Northwestern University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Rochester, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University and Washington University in St. Louis. In partnership with 2U, formerly known as 2tor, Semester Online offers rigorous, online, for-credit courses to college students from anywhere in the world. For more information, please visit semesteronline.org.

About 2U, Inc.

2U, Inc., formerly known as 2tor, Inc., partners with top-tier universities to deliver rigorous, selective graduate degree and undergraduate for-credit programs online. Founded in 2008 by John Katzman and a team of education veterans, the company provides universities with the technologies, infrastructural support and capital they need to transform their on-campus programs into high-quality, web-based programs. 2U is one of the highest-funded education technology start-ups in the United States. 2U has partnered with prestigious colleges and research universities to deliver the following groundbreaking online programs:

• USC Rossier Online: Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Arts in Teaching –TESOL and Master's of Education in Advanced Instruction from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education
• MSW@USC: Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California School of Social Work
• Nursing@Georgetown: Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies
• MBA@UNC: Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School
• MPA@UNC: Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government
• @WashULaw: Master of Laws (LL.M.) in U.S. Law from Washington University School of Law
• MPH@GW: Master of Public Health (MPH) in International and Rural Health from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
• Semester Online: For-credit undergraduate program through a consortium of leading universities

SOURCE 2U, Inc.