The University of Massachusetts-sponsored online program University Without Walls (UWW) has added three newly expanded study concentrations for the fall semester.

“These new program developments are a result of our ongoing commitment to remain in the forefront of innovative online offerings in step with extremely high-growth fields,” said UMassOnline CEO David Gray.

According to Gray, the new programs were developed by UWW for adults seeking to complete their bachelor’s degree in the fields of arts administration, journalism and health and human services.

The added concentration in arts administration is the first collaborative online undergraduate degree for working adults.

The program is offered in partnership with Arts Extension Service (AES), a leading provider of professional arts education. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, applicants may also earn a nationally recognized certificate in arts management.

“Nonprofit arts and culture is a growth industry,” said AES director Maren Brown. “There’s currently a huge opportunity for people entering the field of arts administration.”

Brown cited a recent study conducted by Americans for the Arts, which concluded that the nonprofit arts and culture industry grew 24 percent between 2000 and 2005 supporting 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs.

The new areas of study concentration offer adults the chance to receive the best available online programs to further their education by taking advantage of modern technology, according to Gray.

“In addition to the requirement that the technology significantly enhance and enrich the learning experience, the program offerings themselves must remain contemporary, reflective of the real world, and ever-evolving to meet and exceed growing demands for leading professionals to have the contemporary knowledge demanded of the new career opportunities,” said Gray.

The UWW has helped many returning students complete and design their Bachelor of Arts or Science degrees for the past 37 years.

According to the official Web site, www.umassonline.net, the program is designed for adults with credit from prior coursework and experience. Today UMassOnline offers 75 undergraduate and graduate degree development programs with over 1,500 courses available.

“I think that this is a great opportunity for those people who want to finish their degrees,” said UMass sophomore and history major Kimberly Whitaker. “UMass should create more of these types of programs so that people have a better chance of getting hired in the competitive job market.”

“In emerging disciplines where sweeping changes are happening rapidly and the demand for highly educated professionals continues to grow, the most rewarding career opportunities favor those with the most advanced knowledge and best contemporary understanding of the requirements for success,” said Gray.

The concentrations in the journalism program are offered in partnership with UMass’s certificate of journalism, which was recently named by the University Continuing Education Association as a “Program of Excellence.” This recognition is considered the top award given in the field of distance learning.

According to Norman Sims, journalism professor and coordinator of the certificate of journalism, the new concentrations program was developed in response to rapid changes in the journalism field and an increased need for flexible learning environments for working adults.

“News has been moving online for 10 years,” said Sims. “This revolution in the delivery of the news requires both a general understanding of the field as well as specialized online skills.”

The human and health services concentration expanded from the current program’s human services concentration, which has become a popular course of study. The new program will offer working adults the chance to earn their degree while preparing to join the highly trained fields of human services and health care.

“With the population growing and aging, these are extremely high-growth fields,” said UWW faculty member Lee Manchester. “These new concentrations give students the latitude to cross over to a variety of jobs in both areas, and for those currently in the health care field to move into management and other roles that offer better paying, more fulfilling work.”

The UWW is accepting applications for the new study concentrations for the fall of 2008 and currently offers individual courses.

Jennifer Heshion can be reached at [email protected]