Frostburg State University’s Master of Science in Recreation and Parks Management is now offered entirely online, accessible from anywhere with a computer and Internet access.  It is FSU’s first fully online academic program, with the first online cohort beginning in the fall 2010 semester.

“This program has already provided a valuable educational experience to many working professionals in the region, and we are excited to expand that option to more prospective students looking to advance in the field,” said Dr. Maureen Dougherty, coordinator of the program.  “We are already seeing interest from Washington, D.C., to Washington state, and we look forward to having a diversified group of students to create our first online learning community.”

Each program will be catered to the student’s area of interests, focusing on providing professional advancement.  The program is primarily designed for professionals who have some administrative and supervisory experience, providing them with the skills and techniques necessary to become upper-level managers in public, non-profit, and commercial agencies in the parks and recreation field.

Students progress through the program in a group – or cohort – providing a support system of fellow students and an immediate network of professional colleagues.  A weekend orientation at the beginning of the program, which helps build relationships between students and faculty and among members of the cohort, is the only in-person time required.  The 30-credit program can be completed in 2 1/2 years.  No summer classes are offered, since this is a particularly busy time for most mid-level managers in the profession.

Despite being an online program, students still have significant access to the Recreation and Parks Management faculty, as well as the seasoned practitioners who are part of the educational staff.

For more information, contact the FSU Office of Graduate Services at (301) 687-7053 or online at http://www.frostburg.edu/grad/index.htm

Situated in the mountains of AlleganyCounty, FrostburgStateUniversity is one of the 13 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland.