Online Schools: North Dakota

Perhaps in no other area has geography dictated the development of a state more than in North Dakota. Comprising an area of 70,665 square miles (size of the six New England states and New Jersey combined), North Dakota's geography encompasses four distinct regions: the Drift Prairie, the Missouri Plateau, the Badlands, and the Red River Valley. Agriculture has always been the strength of North Dakota, which produces more barley, sunflower seeds, and flaxseed than any other state and which ranks among the leading producers of oats, rye, and sugar beets in the nation.

The expansion of online schools in North Dakota might one day be an additional strength of the state. Though the state does not offer any formal public K-12 online schools, the North Dakota Center for Distance Education (ND CDE), which receives minimal funding from the Department of Education, has been an option for residents and nonresidents since 1935. ND CDE's courses are offered for credit to any students in middle and high school for a resident fee of $250 per semester course. Credit recovery, Advanced Placement, dual credit, and elective classes comprise ND CDE's over 130 course offerings, which include traditional core subjects as well as Family and Consumer Science and Business Education. The Center works to provide support to students within a variety of educational settings, including a combination of public, private, home, and charter schools. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were 2,500 course enrollments, but more than half of them (1,700) were out-of-state enrollments. In order to increase funding for ND CDE’s online schools, North Dakota appears to recognize that it must do more to increase its number of in-state students.

The Online and Distance Education program comprises the majority of North Dakota online schools at the postsecondary level. Currently, University of North Dakota's Online and Distance Education program offers 13 bachelor's degrees, 20 master's degrees, and four doctoral degrees (in Education Leadership and Nursing only). The school offers two types of enrollment for college credit courses. Enroll Anytime allows for self-paced independent study, the only requirement being that students must complete the course within nine months. Financial aid and scholarships are not available for students who choose Enroll Anytime. Semester Based follows the standard semester course schedule at the University, for which financial assistance is available.

The state's second largest public university, North Dakota State University, also offers a limited number of undergraduate degrees in areas such as Human Development, Sociology, Journalism, and Communications. The online school offers twice as many graduate degrees than undergraduate ones. Students may receive masters in areas such as Construction Management, Software Engineering, Community Development, Family Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics. Jobs in education, health, construction and manufacturing are currently on the rise in the state of North Dakota. Consequently, both the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State are currently seeking ways to expand online courses, certificates, and degrees in these highly sought fields.

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