Ninety-four MSOM Students Apply for Fall Graduation

About 240 students from 25 states who studied in online degree programs from the University of Arkansas have applied to graduate in December. That is three times the number of students who studied online and applied for graduation this time last year. The master’s degree in Operations Management program has the greatest number of online students applying for graduation in December, with 94.

“I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to combine the flexibility of an online degree with the reputation of a brick-and-mortar school like the University of Arkansas,” said Michael Olah, an Air Force pilot stationed in Alaska.

Olah, who applied for December graduation with a master’s degree in Operations Management from the College of Engineering, said, “Earning this degree opens up opportunities for me whether I choose to stay in the Air Force or pursue opportunities in the civilian sector.” Olah will not make the 3,700-mile trip to attend commencement Saturday, Dec. 19, but about 120 students who studied in online bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs plan to attend.

Brad Langguth of Virginia applied for graduation from the same Operations Management program. He said he is “able to put that knowledge to work right away” in his job as a project manager for an information technology firm.

“I’m a big Hog fan at heart,” Langguth said. “I definitely plan to visit Senior Walk and see everything I’ve read about.”

Robert Kisabeth needed the flexibility of an online program too, he said. He is the director of equipment operations for Olympic sports for the U of A and is set to graduate with a master’s degree in Operations Management.

“I do have a great job, but I don’t know what the next step will be,” he said. “I wanted to add some diversity to my background. I wanted to learn about new things and new processes.”

The university continues to enhance and expand its online programs and offerings to provide educational access to students who cannot make it to the Fayetteville campus every day because of work or family responsibilities. All online programs are showcased on the University of Arkansas ONLINE website.

About the Master of Science in Operations Management Program: The Department of Industrial Engineering offers a Master of Science in Operations Management which was established in 1974 to fulfill recognized needs in graduate education for military, civilian, and industrial personnel. Since that time it has become the largest graduate degree program offered by the University. Graduate Resident Centers are established at Naval Support Activity/Mid-South at Millington, Tennessee; Little Rock Air Force Base; Hurlburt Field, Florida; Blytheville, and Camden. All requirements for the Master of Science in Operations Management degree may be completed at these centers and at our Fayetteville campus. Most of our courses are also offered online, and two are offered as independent studies.

Operations Management is a set of activities that creates value by transforming inputs into outputs.  Operations Management involves the 10 strategic decisions: design of goods and services, managing quality, process and capacity design, location strategy, layout strategy, human resource and job design, supply-chain management, inventory management, scheduling, and reliability and maintenance.  

The full Newswire story can be found here.