Through IDEA, students receive engaging online instruction in high-demand professional fields from faculty across the country. Our faculty collaborate closely and have developed a student-centric online academic environment that maximizes learning and preparation for career advancement.
If you’re interested in becoming a student, taking classes, or earning a degree, we have a different area of the website that explains how IDEA works from a student's point of view.
Benefits to Students
One University to Call Home
Students apply and are admitted to one university, which the alliance calls their home university.
Paying the Common Price
Students enroll and pay their tuition, a negotiated common price per credit hour, to their home university. There are no hidden fees.
Gaining Course Access
Each university uses its own LMS to deliver online course content, and students use the LMS to complete coursework.
Degree Completion
A student's degree or certificate is awarded by their home university. All courses are transcripted as if they were taken at one institution.
How It Works From the Student Perspective
This video helps prospective students understand how the alliance works. This webpage also connects students to resources throughout our website such as application and tuition information.
Hear From Our Students
Don't just take our word for it. Our students have a lot to say about how IDEA has changed their lives.
It is incredibly refreshing to see major universities working together in order to offer such high-quality degree programs and experiences for their students all while keeping tuition rates affordable. I had a roughly 10-year gap between finishing my bachelor’s degree and starting my master’s program. I have found all of the faculty at the different universities extremely welcoming and encouraging, which has made my return to school so much smoother.
Shaun Libby, Youth Development Master's Degree Student
The university partnerships in IDEA provide a unique opportunity to interact with students and professors who would not be present in a more traditional graduate program. In my career in Cooperative Extension, I am an employee of Oklahoma State University. The IDEA program has given me valuable insight into the way that other land-grant universities function and form connections that cross state lines.
Riley Dubois, Family & Consumer Sciences Education Master's Student
The IDEA program has granted me opportunities through online learning that would never be possible in a traditional setting. As a military family, we are required to move frequently and sometimes unexpectedly. There were times when I lived in three different states in a matter of one year. The IDEA program allows me to receive an outstanding education regardless of my home state. I have access to classes and universities throughout the United States to provide a comprehensive array of knowledge in my field.
Autumn Laurito, Nutrition & Dietetics Master's Graduate
IDEA benefits students and the learning process by providing diverse and engaged instruction. The format allows for students of different backgrounds and knowledge bases the ability to interact and share experiences that are unique locally and regionally. I have enjoyed learning with my classmates from different professions and hearing their perspectives, this has definitely enhanced my learning experience.
Travis Jones, Grassland Management Graduate Certificate
