University of North Carolina Wilmington to Now Offer High-Demand Nursing and Education Programs Online with Carousel Enrollment

Academic Partnerships Selected to Provide Conversion, Recruitment, and Retention Services

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Aug 01, 2013, 09:00 ET

WILMINGTON, N.C. and DALLAS, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) today announced that it will begin offering two of its high-demand nursing and education programs—Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) and Master of Education with a specialization in Elementary Education (M.Ed., Elementary Education )—online with carousel enrollment in the coming months. Applications for the programs are now being accepted.

"We are honored to offer registered nurses a platform to earn one of today's most desirable degrees at UNCW in a new, innovative, and flexible way," said UNCW Chancellor Gary L. Miller. "Furthermore, we see this as a way to give back to our community at large. UNCW and graduates of these programs will jointly help move the nursing and teaching workforce and North Carolina forward."

UNCW's RN-BSN program is designed for practicing registered nurses who wish to earn a baccalaureate degree. Through interactions with individuals, families, communities, and other health care professionals in clinical settings, nursing graduates will contribute toward meeting the wide-ranging needs of the region, state, and the larger community.

Increased access to the program comes amidst growing national and regional focus on the ability of existing programs and educational systems to produce the number of additional nurses with the appropriate levels of education likely to be needed in the future. The need for additional nurses with baccalaureate degrees is especially pronounced in North Carolina, and UNCW's competitively-priced online offering is well-positioned to address it.

UNCW is also accepting applications for its online M.Ed., Elementary Education program. Designed for experienced teachers wishing to enhance their theoretical and pedagogical knowledge of elementary education, the program is focused on learning theories; diversity; technology; special needs; lesson planning; and arts and literature and addresses current North Carolina Teaching Standards.

UNCW is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; the RN-BSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; and the M.Ed., Elementary Education program has been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

UNCW has chosen Academic Partnerships (AP), one of the largest representatives of public universities' online learning in the United States and around the world, to help convert the program into an online format, recruit students, and support student retention efforts. AP will work closely with UNCW faculty to ensure that the new online degree programs maintain the highest educational standards. The company will also use its integrated marketing and branding strategies to extend the university's reach, increasing the enrollment of highly-qualified students.

While both programs were already available online, they will now be offered through AP on the carousel system, allowing students to complete classes in seven-and-a-half week intervals, versus the traditional fifteen-week offerings.

The online RN-BSN program will begin later this month, while the M.Ed., Elementary Education program will begin in October. Click here to apply or learn more about the programs.

About the University of North Carolina Wilmington
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to learning through the integration of teaching and mentoring with research and service. A public institution with nearly 14,000 students, our university is widely acknowledged for its superb faculty and staff and its powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry, critical thinking, thoughtful expression, and responsible citizenship. With an array of high-quality programs at the baccalaureate and master's levels, and doctoral programs in marine biology and educational leadership, UNCW is continuously recognized at a national level for academic excellence and affordability. We are dedicated to offering a community rich in diversity and inclusion, global perspectives, and enriching the quality of life through scholarly community engagement in such areas as health, education, the economy, the environment, marine and coastal issues, and the arts. For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu.

About Academic Partnerships
Academic Partnerships (AP) helps universities convert their traditional degree programs into an online format, recruits qualified students and supports enrolled students through graduation. Serving more than 40 public universities in the United States and numerous top foreign institutions, AP is guided by the principle that the opportunities presented through distance learning make higher education more accessible and achievable for students in the U.S. and around the world. The company was founded by social entrepreneur Randy Best, an 18-year veteran of developing innovative learning solutions to improve education. For more information, please visit www.academicpartnerships.com.

Contacts:

For the University of North Carolina Wilmington
Tara Romanella
+1.910.962.3616 (office)
+1.910.512.4280 (mobile)
[email protected]

For Academic Partnerships
Jaquelyn M. Scharnick
+1.866.939.6323
[email protected]

SOURCE Academic Partnerships