The name change to Purdue University Online is designed to better reflect the organization's primary role – facilitating online courses and programming in partnership with the colleges, schools, departments and faculty of Purdue's flagship West Lafayette and regional campuses.
The new name emphasizes Purdue University Online's mission as an extension of Purdue's residential campuses offering online courses and programs and distinguishes Purdue University Online from Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults.
Purdue first ventured into distance education 100 years ago in 1922, when it began broadcasting engineering courses over WBAA radio. During the 2021-2022 school year, Purdue University celebrated a milestone, passing 1,000 graduate degrees and over 200 graduate certificates awarded to Purdue University Online students.
Purdue University Online operates a detailed launch process for adding new high-quality, high-value online offerings, including graduate degrees, certificates and noncredit professional development courses and programs. The process includes a market analysis and lays out how the curriculum will be developed, approved, launched, supported, and assessed. Expert Purdue University Online staff supports faculty and campus units in developing and deploying courses and programs with the right pedagogy and technology. Staff also assist with marketing, recruiting, enrolling new students, and supporting and advising enrolled students.
The new online student experience website at purdue.edu/online creates a one-stop-shop for resources supporting online graduate students, and highlights resources for all online learners that are spread over a variety of Purdue websites.
The new website also showcases the breadth of programming from Purdue’s colleges and tells stories of Purdue University Online’s alumni. It includes information on how to reach the online support team that serves as liaisons to the campus community throughout the exploration process and during program completion. Additional resource guides are available, such as an FAQ on remote learning and an online student toolkit, along with links to online resources from campus units ranging from the Bursar's Office and the Division of Financial Aid to Counseling and Psychological Services and the Disability Resource Center, as well as resources for tech support, writing help, student discounts, and more.
Online offerings from the entire Purdue system can still be found on the unified portal at online.purdue.edu.