Oakland City University Jasper location offers new route to advanced degrees

Since March, a group of local students has been meeting via Zoom through a new educational opportunity offered by Oakland City University in Dubois County.

They are the first students in the new master’s degree programs being offered by Oakland City University at the new Jasper Learning Center located in LIVEWire, the coworking space in Jasper.

Originally, they would have been meeting weekly in person with an instructor at LIVEWire, but with the coronavirus pandemic, classes went digital. Fortunately, in the final two weeks of classes, those students were able to meet in person as restrictions began to loosen.

Despite the modifications required by the virus, the course of study and class structure has enable this first group to bond well together. Enough so that one student is considering changing their course concentration to ensure they stay with the same group of students.

The Jasper Learning Center offers a Master’s of Science in Strategic Management and a Master’s of Business Administration. All the students currently enrolled in Jasper are in the MBA program.

The university is hoping to offer more degrees.

“We’re hoping to expand based on Jasper’s needs and interests,” said Kami Knies, Admissions Counselor and Academic Support Specialist for the new location. “We’re working toward figuring out what the area needs.”

According to Knies, the students going through this first eight-week block of study have really bonded through the Zoom meetings around the classwork. She added that the structure of the classes has been beneficial to create a sense of camaraderie among the students and the instructors.

“They are very supportive of each other and in this type of program, they are able to learn from each other and each other’s life and work experiences,” Knies said.

The accelerated program allows anyone with a bachelor’s and some undergraduate work to complete their master’s degree in a program designed for their busy work and life. A GMAT or GRE exam is not required to enroll.

The program offers courses on an eight-week schedule. Students take a break for a week between each course. Prospective students in either program can enroll in the next upcoming course and then tack any courses they missed on this first round to the end of the program.

“Students could jump in right now and they’d have to make up two classes at the end,” Knies explained.

Enrollment is easy and starts with a free online application at the Oakland City University website here. Knies also has an office at LIVEWire and can be contacted with inquiries at kknies@oak.edu or by phone at 812-749-1322.