Brandon McGill, one of the first graduates from the College of Professional Studies and the first Public Safety student to graduate from the Broken Arrow Police Academy, stands proudly as his wife and son pin his BAPD badge onto his uniform at the academy's graduation ceremony earlier this year.

OSU College of Professional Studies celebrates surge in enrollment

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Media Contact: Aaron Campbell | OSU-Tulsa Communications Coordinator | 918-594-8046 | aaron.ross.campbell@okstate.edu

The Oklahoma State University College of Professional Studies, OSU’s newest academic college, is celebrating an exponential increase in enrollment.

The college, created in 2021 and based at OSU-Tulsa, began with the pilot organizational leadership and public safety degree programs and a handful of students. With the recent addition of the online health care administration bachelor’s program, as well as courses in entertainment media, enrollment has jumped from 10 enrolled students to more than 100.

“The momentum we’ve been building is starting to show,” said Craig Freeman, interim vice provost of OSU-Tulsa and College of Professional Studies dean. “Our college is growing thanks to the dedicated work of our expert faculty and staff, who truly believe in our mission to remove barriers to education and provide quality, practical programming to improve Oklahoma’s workforce. These new enrollment numbers prove that all our hard work is starting to pay off.”

Health care administration, the largest program in the college, is popular among students looking to advance their current health care career or make the switch to a career in this field. The flexibility of the completely online program allows working professionals to complete the program on their own time, even while working full-time and taking care of family responsibilities.

Entertainment media courses have received strong interest and rising enrollment, despite not yet being part of a complete bachelor’s degree program. These courses were offered for the first time this semester and include The World of Entertainment Media, Storytelling Across Screens, Graphic Design for Entertainment Media and Screenwriting. A new slate of entertainment media classes are already planned for the spring semester.

The expansion of non-credit workforce leadership training programs has also been a point of pride for the college. These expert-led courses on subjects such as project management leadership and leadership training for managers have been developed by working directly with businesses and feature customizable delivery options to fit an organization’s timeline and needs.

“We’re building educational opportunities that businesses need and want. We’re not telling them what they need,” said Gina Noble, College of Professional Studies director. “We’re partnering with businesses to help them advance careers and improve leadership. We’re sharpening the skills of local employees and we’re helping employers make plans to recruit, retain, retrain and promote top-notch workers. Everyone comes out on top.”

The boost in the College of Professional Studies’ enrollment numbers corresponds with increased enrollment overall at OSU-Tulsa, which is on trend to set a headcount record with more than 3,000 students taking classes on campus — a 16% increase over last year. Newer programs to the Tulsa campus, including accounting and psychology, are growing rapidly.

“Our students are working adults who value the flexibility OSU-Tulsa classes offer,” said Beverly Morris, OSU-Tulsa director of academic advising. “They’re trying to better their lives and we’re supporting them with in-demand OSU programs in a way that works with their schedules. That resonates with them.”

For more information about the College of Professional Studies, visit professionalstudies.okstate.edu.