NATCHITOCHES – Two online degree programs at Northwestern State University have received high national rankings. The online bachelor’s program in accounting was ranked sixth by Forbes Advisor. The master’s in homeland security was named the 11th best program in the country by onlinemastersdegrees.org.
The online accounting degree program is within the School of Business which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“Northwestern State University’s Department of Accounting is pleased to receive this national ranking by Forbes Advisor as we continue to set rigorous standards of excellence in our online accounting program,” said Coordinator of Accounting Dr. Melissa M. Aldredge. “We strive to provide our students with needed workplace skills and make a positive impact on society. This recognition represents a significant milestone of achievement in our commitment to enrich the quality of education they receive. We are very grateful for the external validation of all that we do.”
The Master’s in Homeland Security is within the School of Social Science and Applied Programs.
“NSU’s ranking among other master’s programs provides validity to the quality of education provided and the ability to meet the needs of students interested in entering this field,” said Homeland Security Program Coordinator Dr. Timothy Pardue.
In compiling its rankings, Forbes Advisor started with a list of accounting programs with online options and narrowed down the list to schools with relatively low transfer-out rates and relatively high graduation rates. They narrowed that list further based on schools with sufficient data indexed by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Forbes Advisor scored the remaining 35 colleges that offer online accounting bachelor’s programs in the U.S. using 17 data points in the categories of credibility (including accreditation and nonprofit status), affordability, student outcomes, student experience and application process. They pulled this data from reliable resources such as IPEDS and individual school and program websites.
Specific characteristics considered within each category include accreditation, nonprofit status, average price per year, financial aid offerings, Pell Grant recipient graduation rate and graduation rate. The highest-ranking schools were fully accredited, nonprofit institutions with relatively high socioeconomic diversity. Schools that ranked well offer tech support for online learners and mental health and counseling services.
Online master’s degrees.org covers more than 100 master’s subjects and gives students a simple, straightforward way to see which online programs are worthy of further consideration. To ensure the rankings are completely impartial, the site ranks schools using the latest self-reported data schools provide to the U.S. Department of Education.
Northwestern State’s Master of Science in Homeland Security degree is designed to provide graduates with the capabilities to analyze and understand the emerging challenges of evolving security conditions on the domestic and international stage. From the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to the current National Security Strategy, students will gain a distinct appreciation for the complexities of homeland security organizations, leadership, policies, ethics and challenges, through the review of pertinent literature, critical thinking, research and reflective analysis and evaluation.
The Master’s Degree in Homeland Security is unique in that it pushes students to develop plausible solutions to the inexorable national, international and transnational threats currently challenging global security through the innovative delivery of transformative student learning experiences which prepare our graduates for life and career success in this ever-growing occupational field. An online master’s in homeland security can open doors to a new career within federal, state and local governments, as well as in the private sector. In fact, government positions are often springboards to lucrative private sector contracting positions.
For information on the online bachelor’s in accounting, go to https://www.nsula.edu/business/degree-programs/accounting/. For information on the master’s in homeland security, go to https://www.nsula.edu/ssap/ssapdegrees/ .
