Jackson State University’s online master’s degree in history program ranks among best

(JACKSON, Miss.) — Jackson State University’s Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts was recently recognized for offering one of the Best Online Master’s Degree in History programs for 2020 in a report published by Optimal. The department also ranked Top 20 for Most Affordable Online Master’s Degree in History. The information was shared in Optimal’s Guide to Online Schools.

According to a release, the methodology for the rankings incorporates a return on investment formula to show accredited programs with the best value. Since the cost and return of a college can significantly vary by the degree, tuition rates and salary numbers are specific to degree-level and major. All tuition rates were manually researched on official school websites in order to ensure accuracy. Salary figures were reported by PayScale and reflected earnings of students 10 or more years after graduation. In order to select the best options for value in each major, Optimal researched more than 78,000 online programs.

“The Department of History and Philosophy was one of the first to build an online master’s program at JSU. The faculty have found a way to make online learning engaging and cooperative,” said Dr. Candis Pizzetta, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Despite being a small department, it offers a variety of classes every semester and provide online students with individual mentoring.”

Pizzetta said she is glad, but not surprised, by the national ranking. “This program is a model for online learning.”

Sung Rhee, CEO of Optimal, explained the organization’s goal is to show data that are difficult to find elsewhere.

“With this launch, Guide to Online Schools shows students what they can reasonably expect to make in salary 10 years after graduating from a particular program. We want people to know how their education choices can measurably impact their financial futures,” he said.

Optimal helps prospective students make informed, data-driven decisions to improve their collegiate experiences and their post-college careers. The company provides more than 85,000 in-depth student reviews and college rankings for every major based on alumni salaries and manually researched tuitions. Optimal’s tools and services provide accessible and transparent financial data regarding cost and earning potential that gives students educational paths that lead them to success, without burdening them with insurmountable debt.