Southern Illinois University Carbondale to Offer New Accelerated Graduate Programs, MBAs

• Southern Illinois University Carbondale announced it's launching eight new online graduate programs.
• The university will offer programs in public health, accountancy, public administration, business analytics, and business administration.
• The accelerated programs will allow students to graduate in as little as one year.
• Students can apply until Aug. 4 for the first cycle of classes, which starts Aug. 19.

Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale is launching eight online graduate programs, including four master of business administration (MBA) programs.

The university's new programs can take students as little as a year to complete. The first cycle of eight-week courses starts Aug. 19, and students can apply now until Aug. 4.

SIU Carbondale is partnering with Academic Partnerships (AP), which works with over 100 universities to expand access to education, especially for working and adult learners. The accelerated programs allow SIU Carbondale to offer more flexibility to these students.

"We are excited to launch these online programs and expand access to students who value flexibility and the quality that SIU is proud to offer," said Sheryl Tucker, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, in a press release. "Our partnership with AP will allow us to bring these critical programs to more communities, in Illinois and beyond."

SIU Carbondale will offer degrees including:

• Master of Public Health
• Master of Accountancy — General
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Science in Business Analytics
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Business Administration in Marketing
• Master of Business Administration in Finance
• Master of Business Administration in Analytics for Managers

More universities are embracing the trend for online MBAs, where students may be able to finish their studies much faster than in traditional, in-person MBA programs. Last week, Georgia State University announced a self-paced 42-credit-hour program — shortened from the typical 52 credit hours — focusing on skills development and team-building.

Schools are also implementing flexible online MBA programs aimed at working professionals. Washington University in St. Louis and Texas A&M University recently announced that they will offer MBAs to working professionals.

"One of the more effective ways of educating students for the workforce is internships, simulations, and so on," Ralf Wilhelms, a professor at the Lake Superior State University Lukenda School of Business, previously told BestColleges.

"We want to continue to have them work, and the education part will tie in with their work through simulations, through specific tasks or applications of concepts that they now have to apply at their work."