Finding Mississippi from all 50 States

You may think you know something about Mississippi. But what you may not know is that students from around the nation are finding their way to Mississippi, through online learning.

“A lot of people don't know this, but our online programs are reaching students in every state in the nation,” said Dr. Tom Hutchinson, director of the Office of Online Learning at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. “The quality of our education coupled with affordability has made students from Alaska to New York choose Southern Miss.”

You may have heard about The University of Southern Mississippi through some famous former students and Mississippians, such as NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre and musician Jimmy Buffett. But, the university educates students from across the country.

“We offer over nine undergraduate and 21 graduate programs fully online using the same faculty that teach our face-to-face classes,” said Hutchinson. “We reach out through Facebook and other online marketing to let people know about all of our quality programs, and students from all 50 states have responded. Since we offer part-time and full-time enrollment, students can fit their studies around their busy schedules.”

Marla Freitag, a resident of Eagle River Alaska, is a full time teacher at the Anchorage School District. She says she would recommend Southern Miss to others because of the quality of instruction and “stellar” personalized learning. “Southern Miss has allowed me the opportunity to train in specialized areas that I did not know were available to me,” said Freitag. “I have accomplished so much during my time here. I would recommend this school to anyone considering a masters or certification in education.”

Across the country in New York, Tony Allegrino lives in Binghamton and is studying construction engineering technology. Even though he is in New York, Allegrino says he chose the Southern Miss program because it was accredited. He says the personal attention he receives is one of the strengths of the program. “The professors have been very helpful and always willing to put the extra effort into making sure you get the most out of their class.”

Students from around the country are not the only ones who recognize Southern Miss has something special. Affordable Colleges Online ranked them the #1 Most Affordable Online College in the Nation for 2016-2017.

Hutchinson says the quality education combined with the competitive cost are just a few reasons why online students from all 50 states are flocking to the programs.

“We offer a host of services to our online students to keep them connected to the university. These include free online tutoring through our Writing Center, ways to save money on textbooks, study abroad options, and the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families, which offers an abundance of free resources to online military students,” said Hutchinson.

Through all of this, Hutchinson is pleased with the reach of Mississippi. “Our goal is to provide academically rigorous programs to students from around the nation, and we are proud to bring a touch of Mississippi to students from coast to coast.”

The University of Southern Mississippi offers both undergraduate and graduate programs fully online. To learn more, visit https://online.usm.edu/.