So I’m still into this online education concept, and I’ve come across some other programs that are pretty cool. While looking at Project Management oriented stuff I came across this Master of Science in Service Management program. Among other things, it has a focus on leadership in business and is offered by Saint Xavier University. Now, I don’t know if this is for me – after all, it has “Science” in the title. I mean, that right there is a pretty solid indication that I should run to the hills with Iron Maiden blasting my personal soundtrack.

What really tracks for me is the MS Nursing degree they offer. No, I’m not saying I’m ready for a career change just yet (though one never knows – and I’m much more likely to go nurse than doctor – think Ben Stiller in Meet the Parents only less DeNiro and more catheters).

Seriously, though, this is a pretty compelling program. It’s wild that you can actually consider getting an advanced degree in the nursing field (solid undergraduate work is of course a requirement) through an online program. I mean, as more and more people are making career decisions or changes later in life – like, after they’ve started families and have mortgages and such – an advanced program that is flexible and can work around an individual’s schedule is pretty cool. There really is a world of new opportunities opening up thanks to online culture – and it’s not just centered on porn and wasting time.

And since we’re talking about patient care here, it is cool that they also require some weekend on campus time to complete the program. It’s not just about avoiding the rubber stamp, but I think it also reinforces the human element that is required in health care. It seems Saint Xavier’s is one of only 15 schools recognized as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, and the program is fully accredited, and graduates can sit for the Clinical Nursing Leader Certification Exam. Honestly. I have no idea what that is, but it seems comparable to receiving PMP certification as discussed last time.

So even if Nursing is not in my (immediate) future, I am heartened by the impressive leaps I have seen in the online education space since I started working in this business…back when it was barely a business to work in. And it is quite interesting to see some an online curriculum that is well-conceived and has been demonstrated effective in what we once called the “distance learning” space, particularly when the curriculum has nothing to do with the online world. Taking an offline discipline and creating an online learning environment that supports the offline reality – in a very specialized field, no less – that’s just cool.

*** By the way – the title…it’s from the the song Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden. Just in case you think I’ve lost my liberal bias or something.