UHV online history, English programs earn recognition
Two University of Houston-Victoria School of Arts & Sciences bachelor degrees recently were ranked on a national list of most affordable online degrees by Affordable Online Colleges.
The Bachelor of Arts in history program was ranked No. 21, and the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities-English was No. 31 nationally.
“The UHV School of Arts & Sciences is dedicated to offering the best education available through all mediums including online,” said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the school. “These rankings of our online bachelor’s degrees are further confirmation that our programs are making an impact and preparing our students for future success.”
The programs were scored using a 100-point system based on 10 metrics, including online tuition rate, six-year graduation rate, student/faculty ratio, acceptance rate, percentage of students receiving financial aid, job placement for graduates, and academic and career counseling services.
Tuition costs were rated from one dollar sign to four with four being the highest. UHV’s tuition was given one dollar sign. The university also was listed as having a low student/faculty ratio.
The bachelor’s in history scored 91.59 points. In comments about the history program, the website noted that students learn more than just history. They are equipped for careers as writers, policy analysts, research historians, tour guides or secondary teachers. Students also are able to pursue graduate degrees in fields outside of history, including business, law and library science.
“UHV’s online history courses have been popular with students from a number of degree plans,” said Beverly Tomek, assistant professor of history and coordinator of the history program. “The courses offer a challenging and fulfilling environment that encourages deep thinking and quality discussions, and the emphasis on writing and original research benefits students from a number of fields. The historians who teach online history courses at UHV are active researchers in a number of fields, and they bring that research to the online classroom to share with students and encourage them to pursue their own research.”
The undergraduate humanities in English program was given a score of 92.83. The comments note the degree gives students a wide range of options for possible careers, including advertising, education, public relations, government and business.
“Our English faculty members deserve credit for their hard work in creating an online program among the best in the country,” said Andrew Baerg, a UHV associate professor of communications and chair of the humanities program. “This ranking speaks to their commitment to their students’ success and to their desire to keep on improving what they do.”
Both programs also received praise for their use of online discussion boards and tools such as Blackboard and slideshows. The programs’ versatility and flexibility also was applauded in the assessment, as was students’ access to the UHV Student Success Center.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
