A Glimpse of Online and Hybrid Graduate Student Life

Continuing education is a way to learn new skills and build on existing ones; however, prospective students' concerns often involve balancing courses and responsibilities. In response to this concern, JMU offers multiple graduate programs available in online and hybrid formats to help students balance work and education. Three graduate students agree that the delivery format of their courses was one of the deciding factors when choosing their programs. The flexibility, connections with their cohorts, and support from their professors have allowed them to persevere while balancing their responsibilities with their educational goals.  

Driven by the goal of improving his skill set within his accelerating career, Matthew Johnson is a graduate student in the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program with a concentration in Executive Leadership. This program is given in a hybrid format, which takes place synchronously every Tuesday and in-person once every 8 weeks for a full Saturday. Johnson explained that he was drawn to the program after deciding to further his skillset through graduate school and was looking for a program that both met his professional goals and wasn’t lacking in creating connections, “what drew me to the program specifically, is that you’re covering every element of what you would probably face, from a decision, strategy, and execution standpoint for any business executive. I had an itch to go back and study business to do better in my current role and it felt like going into the executive MBA route felt right, but after looking around [for a program] I learned quickly that I didn’t want an asynchronous program.” Johnson wasn’t alone in realizing that he wanted to avoid an asynchronous format.   

Amy Christian is a graduate student in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D) program with a concentration in Leadership, Equity, Innovation, & Learning (LEIL), which prepares school leaders to advance their skill set and support school equity and innovation through leadership. This hybrid doctoral program is completed synchronously online, except for the annual in-person cohort meeting in the summer. Christian strives to further her skills to become a strong leader in her career, but before committing to a program, she was hesitant to participate due to career responsibilities that did not allow enough time to fully engage in the courses and her past experience with a lack of community in the asynchronous format. She has taken an asynchronous online class before, but found that she missed the connections she could have made with her cohort. Christian found that the program's synchronous method made it much easier to form those connections, especially since the program, professors, and fellow students understand that the students are working professionals, which makes the experience a lot more relatable. The connections not only provide a sense of understanding and unity in experience but also provide diverse perspectives from others regarding the field or otherwise. Christian urges that, “when participating in a program like this, time management is critical. It is also very important that students remember to take care of themselves, too.” Because of daily responsibilities, flexibility has become a crucial part of graduate programs for many students.  

Lauren Garletts is also a graduate student in the Ed.D program, but with a concentration in Curriculum, Instruction & Educational Equity (CIEE). Like the LEIL concentration branch of the program, CIEE is delivered in a hybrid format, with most coursework completed online. Garletts’s intention for participating in the program is to make an impact on future educators and curriculum support for students with disabilities. Still, she had trouble finding a program that prepared her for her goals and provided balanced support until she was presented with the opportunity to be part of the first Ed.D cohort alongside Christian. The class's flexibility allows Garletts the space and time she needs for her daily responsibilities while also providing the guidance she was looking for. She describes the coursework as challenging but beneficial, “The program really helps us as a group of educators, find ways not to burn out and help our students within the systems that we have, truly thinking about what’s best for them as human beings.”    

The hybrid and online delivery formats of some of JMU’s graduate programs allow students to incorporate coursework into their daily responsibilities while also providing opportunities to connect with their cohort and hear different perspectives. Graduate students have a shared appreciation for the flexibility their respective programs allow, resulting in a routine in which students prepare their homework on weekends. Despite most of these programs being administered online, the students are treated with the same respect as their on-campus counterparts. Professors are on top of communication, and the students are encouraged to seize career development opportunities, achieve their goals, and form close connections with their respective cohorts.