School Details
With an emphasis on diversity, integrity, and academic vitality, the University of Central Arkansas has transformed into a learner-focused comprehensive university in its over 100 years of scholarly endeavors. This four-year public institution focuses on such core values as:
- Intellectual excellence
- Community
- Diversity
- Integrity
Through research, creative pursuit, and engagement with communities at all levels—local, national, and global, UCA has much to offer its students. The university awards degrees from associate’s to doctorates and a variety of certificates. In keeping with the times, the university also provides many programs through distance learning. Students appreciate completing their educations through online bachelor’s degrees as well as online graduate degrees.
Accreditation & Licensing
University of Central Arkansas is accredited by:
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
All Programs
Business
The Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems with Business Analysis online degree provides a competitive edge to the entry-level workplace. This concentration is designed for students preparing for careers that combine business requirements and analysis. Learn to be the link between business managers and technical staff. Courses in this online computer information systems degree teach you to analyze data using descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, and to use this analysis for improved decision-making. You will not only improve your decision-making skills, but will also have a better understanding of technology, be experienced working on projects in teams, and will be able to analyze business processes.
Benefit from the flexibility of distance learning with assurance that coursework meets the same standards as those offered on campus. In addition, all online students can access advising, technical assistance, career services, and other vital school resources.
The online BBA / General Business degree program from the University of Central Arkansas is designed to give students a broad-based understanding of business. Courses cover topics in:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Finance
- Marketing
- Management
- Managment Information Systems
- Business Communications
- Business Law
The Bachelor of Business Administration in Insurance & Risk Management, an online finance degree, prepares students for entry-level careers in this area. Prepare for a career as an insurance agent or broker, underwriter, claims adjuster, personal financial planner, risk manager, and more. You will gain a broad-based understanding of risk management and insurance along with completing general education courses. The curriculum covers core business courses in such areas as accounting, management, marketing, business communications, and more in addition to those courses directly related to insurance and risk management.
Specialization opportunities are available in such areas as:
- Risk Management
- Property and Liability Insurance
- Life and Health Insurance
- Employee Benefits
- Personal Financial Planning
Benefit from the flexibility of distance learning with assurance that coursework meets the same standards as those offered on campus. In addition, all online students can access advising, technical assistance, career services, and other vital school resources.
A Sport Management master’s degree online can provide a path for anyone who wants to further their career in today’s sport industry. Gain in-depth knowledge in the areas of leadership and management, marketing, finance and the legalities of athletic administration. Course content combines theory and practice, along with a final simulation capstone.
This online sports management degree can be completed in just under two years. 8-week class sessions allow you the opportunity to focus on fewer courses at once, without sacrificing content quality. Virtual students will also have access to many of the same resources as those found on campus, including
- Advising and career guidance
- Disability and veteran services
- Library access
- Blackboard and technical support
An online MBA can provide you with advanced tools to succeed in a wide range of upper level business administration positions. Core competencies include studies in accounting, strategic management, decision making and operations management. You will also have the opportunity to select from a large number of elective options, some of which include:
- Data analytics
- Business intelligence
- Entrepreneurial and small business
- Taxation
While applicants do not need an undergraduate business degree to apply, those with unrelated degrees may need to first complete prerequisites.
Benefit from the flexibility of distance learning with assurance that coursework meets the same standards as those offered on campus. In addition, all online students can access advising, technical assistance, career services and other vital school resources
An online Finance master’s degree can set you up for an advanced career in a vast number of organizations, public and private. In addition to completing a number of core course requirements, the Finance concentration of this MBA targets studies in bank management, risk and insurance fundamentals, investments, international finance and more.
Grow your knowledge in effective operational strategies and decision making skills as you engage with faculty and peers. Benefit from the same standards of instruction as those found on campus, but with the convenience of online learning.
Virtual resources include, but are not limited to:
- Academic and career advising
- Library access
- Technical support
- Veteran and disability service
Advance your career in a large number of organizations with this online management information systems degree. Gain the advanced tools needed to succeed while learning core business competencies. In addition to these core courses, you will also study such topics as:
- Data Analytics
- Project Management
- Critical Thinking and Experimental Design
- Principles of Information Security
Increase your knowledge in effective operational strategies and decision making skills as you engage with faculty and peers.
Benefit from the flexibility of distance learning with assurance that coursework meets the same standards as those offered on campus. In addition, all online students can access advising, technical assistance, career services and other vital school resources.
Prepare for a career in the rapidly growing area of international business with this Master of Business Administration with a concentration in International Business degree online. In addition to completing a number of core course requirements, students pursuing the International Business concentration have the option of completing elective credits in international business, international culture, or a foreign language, or completing an internship.
Grow your knowledge in effective operational strategies and decision making skills as you engage with faculty and peers. Benefit from the same standards of instruction as those found on campus, but with the convenience of online learning.
Virtual resources include, but are not limited to:
- Academic and career advising
- Library access
- Technical support
- Veteran and disability service
Computer Science & IT
The University of Central Arkansas offers the online Master of GIS degree, ideal for students who have had previous GIS coursework and/or will be currently employed in a position which requires the use of GIS or GIS-based information services. The curriculum offers both a thesis and a non-thesis option, with coursework covering topics such as:
- Mapping Fundamentals
- Digital Image Processing
- Technical Issues
- Spatial Analysis & Modeling
Education
Move into a leadership position with this online education administration degree. Do you have a master’s degree but want to further your education? If so, this program may be for you.
Improve your content knowledge and skills while adding building-level or district-level administrator licenses or other graduate certificate areas. Customize your degree by choosing such district and school-level endorsements as:
- Superintendent
- Building administration
- Curriculum administration
- Program administration in adult education
- Program administration in special education
Learn to become a technology leader and practitioner, working with students in grades K-12, with this online STEM teaching degree. The curriculum helps students provide professional expertise in instructional technology and integrate principles of various technologies for achieving educational or learning goals. Graduates are visionary and innovative leaders in the use of instructional technology. They are able to meet diverse student needs.
Courses will likely include:
- Teaching and Learning Coding and Programming I
- Computing Systems and Networking
- Data and Analysis in Computer Science
- Teaching and Learning in Computer Science
Enroll in this instructional design degree online and advance professional opportunities. In today’s world, it is hard if not impossible to escape technology. The classroom is no different and with this degree, you will learn to use technology in educational settings as a means of educating students in P-12 and Higher Education settings. Become a visionary and innovative leader in the use of instructional technology and learn to implement effective curricula to meet diverse student needs.
The curriculum likely consists of such courses as:
- Design and Production of Media Resources for Online Courses
- Universal Design for Learning
- Computer Graphics and Animation
Enroll in this instructional design degree online and advance professional opportunities. Many facets of everyday life changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the education world had to adapt as well. As online learning became more prevalent, there was a greater need for educators with knowledge and skills in online teaching. Even though life is returning to “normal,” the need for online teachers and online instructional programs has not disappeared. Prepare to help meet this need as an online instructor.
The curriculum likely includes such courses as:
- Universal Design for Learning
- Online Education Course Design, Delivery, Implementation, and Evaluation
- Online Teaching and Instructional Strategies
- Supporting Student Success in Online Teaching
Get ready to help ensure all students succeed with this online special education degree. Prepare for a career working with a growing part of the student population, those with special needs. This degree is for licensed general education teachers who wish to further their knowledge and skills in special education. The curriculum covers a variety of topics in special education, including foundations, individual learning differences, instructional strategies and learning, guidance and behavior management, communication, and professional and ethical practice.
Courses will likely include:
- Behavior Management and Analysis in Special Education
- Educational Assessment in Special Education
- Math and Science for Diverse Learners
- Multisensory Approach to Language I
Become a leader in your school and community through this online educational leadership degree. Gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to become a highly skilled and articulate classroom teacher. This cross-disciplinary program incorporates standards and propositions from national professional organizations and UCA’s Professional Education Unit’s Conceptual Framework.
Customize your degree by choosing from a variety of tracks. These tracks are available online:
- Teacher Leadership
- Gifted and Talented
- Early Childhood
- Dyslexia
- Digital-Age Learning
While this online educational leadership degree is primarily online, one or more campus visits are required.
Enroll in online literacy programs and advance professional opportunities. Literacy development is vital in schools and the workplace, serving as the building blocks upon which other learning is based. However, some people have more trouble with literacy than others do. One example of this is those students with Dyslexia.
This online literacy degree provides reading specialists, literacy coaches, and interventionists with knowledge, strategies, leadership skills, and professional dispositions that allow them to work with these struggling students. It will also help classroom teachers improve their own reading and literacy instruction. Not only will you work with struggling readers and writers, but you will also learn to assist other classroom teachers and lead the reading/literacy program in schools and other institutions.
Prepare for a career working with a growing number of students, those with special needs, with this online special education degree. Graduates work with students with cognitive, physical, behavioral, multiple, and/or health disabilities in Grades K-12.
Explore the changing and complex role of the special educator. Courses provide the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to impact services and support to students with special needs. The curriculum provides current information and experience with research-based best practices in special education and ensures graduates can research and stay current in their field.
Choose between two available tracks in this online special education degree:
- Collaborative Instructional Specialist Ages 0-8 Years
- Collaborative Instructional Specialist Grades 4-12
The University of Central Arkansas offers an online Master of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences degree. This degree prepares students for careers in education, business, industry, healthcare, or government through the skillsets learned.
Students can select one of the following tracks to better suit their goals:
- Clothing, Textiles, & Fashion
- Nutrition & Foods
- General Family & Consumer Sciences
The University of Central Arkansas offers an online Master of Science in Instructional Technology. With this program, students will learn about being an educational technology leader and study initiatives for change and innovation in this field. The program provides a broad view of the field, but students can select an area of concentration that reflects their specific career goals.
- Online Teaching and Learning
- Multimedia Design and Development
- Computer Science and Learning
Help students with a core skill, reading, with this online library science degree. Become a professional in a variety of information and educational settings. These settings may be school library media centers at the elementary, middle, and secondary district levels and regional educational cooperatives.
The curriculum likely includes such courses as:
- Research Methods
- Library Management
- Copyright, Intellectual Property, and Digital Citizenship
- Collection Development
- Cataloging and Classification I
In as little as two years, you can complete this library science degree 100% online.
Prepare for a career working with students in K-12 settings by earning this online master’s in school counseling. You will work in school counseling programs and as part of school leadership teams.
Learn to meet students’ educational, social, psychological, and career needs in a program that integrates theoretical concepts and ethical principles with practical applications. This online school counseling degree examines leadership as a field of academic study and a practice that blends knowledge, skill, and disposition. Graduates are ready to work collaboratively with:
- Students
- Teachers
- Parents
- Administrators
- Community
Choose one of two tracks:
- Add-On Track for those with a valid teaching license
- Initial Licensure Track for those without a valid teaching license
Become a building-level principal, vice principal, assistant principal, or curriculum/program administrator with this online master’s in education administration. You will learn to meet students’ and adults’ needs, become a moral agent and social advocate, and an integrator of technology into the educational environment. Communication is a key skill that is emphasized.
This online education administration is flexible and allows students to customize their degrees. Choose between two tracks: Building Administrator or Curriculum/Program Administrator. In addition, you can choose an emphasis in:
- Special education
- Gifted talent
- Adult education
Advance your knowledge and your career with this online education administration degree. If you have a master’s degree in school leadership or educational leadership with a building-level and/or curriculum/program-level endorsement, this program can help you further advance your degree. It will lead to a Leadership Endorsement.
The curriculum includes courses in these topics:
- Building Administrator
- Curriculum Administrator
- Program Administrator – Special Education
- Program Administrator – Gifted-Talented
Graduates are ready to become superintendents, associate superintendents, or assistant superintendents.
Become a leader in your school with this online educational leadership degree. You may pursue such roles as principal, vice principal, or assistant principal.
The curriculum includes courses in these topics:
- Building Administrator
- Curriculum Administrator
- Program Administrator – Special Education
- Program Administrator – Gifted-Talented
This is a flexible online educational leadership degree. Balance your education and your career.
Healthcare
Advance your career with the Master of Business Administration online degree with a concentration in Health Care Administration. Gain the advanced tools needed to succeed in a wide range of upper level business administration positions in the healthcare industry. In addition to completing a number of core course requirements, this online healthcare administration degree targets studies in environmental health problems, health strategies for multicultural populations, research in health sciences, nutritional services administration, and more.
Grow your knowledge in effective operational strategies and enhance decision-making skills as you engage with faculty and peers. Benefit from the same standards of instruction as those found on campus, but with the convenience of online learning. Virtual resources include:
- Academic and career advising
- Library access
- Technical support
- Veteran and disability service
The online Master of Science in Health Promotion prepares students to be health education specialists in communities. Graduates go on to work in colleges, universities, public schools, health care facilities, and more. Admission is selective and based on admission to graduate studies at UCA, and Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) scores that are less than five years old. The writing section must indicate a score of 3.0 or higher. There are exceptions to the GRE requirement.
Students benefit from:
- Online resources
- Career services
- Affordable tuition
- Technical support
This degree is offered entirely online. Graduates will have a competitive advantage in the healthcare industry with the online master’s degree in health promotion.
The online Master of Science in Nutrition prepares graduates for future careers in nutrition and dietetics. Graduates will be ready to evaluate research, demonstrate communication skills, and use advanced practice skills in professional nutrition careers. Coursework is accessible 24/7 which gives students greater freedom and flexibility in scheduling time for learning.
Students benefit from:
- Online resources
- Career services
- Technical support
This degree is offered entirely online. This program is ideal for students who wish to incorporate nutrition into their education in order to help people live healthier lives. Graduates will have a competitive advantage in the healthcare job market with the online master’s degree in nutrition.
Nursing
The online Doctor of Nursing Practice program from the University of Central Arkansas seeks to develop students ready to address evolving healthcare needs and advance the practice of nursing. Nurses with a bachelor’s degree can pursue this degree track to gain licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse – Nurse Practitioner.
The BSN to FNP program offers a concentration in practice-focused advanced nursing. As practice leaders, graduates are able to influence improvements in the quality of care, health outcomes, and healthcare systems.
Students can expect courses to cover topics such as:
- Health policy for advanced nursing practice
- Statistical methods and data analysis for advanced nursing practice
- Care of adults across the lifespan
- Advanced clinical decision making
- Healthcare quality and organizational systems
The Post-MSN Doctor of Nursing Practice is a practice-focused terminal degree. Graduates will be prepared for the most advanced levels of nursing. This online nurse practitioner degree equips students with the skills and knowledge to generate evidence through practice to guide improvements in healthcare quality, outcomes, and systems.
After completion of the program, students are eligible to sit for national certification. In addition to online coursework, some clinical components are completed through on-campus intensives, and students complete practicum hours in their local area. Students will complete a DNP scholarly project in their final year of study.
Classes examine a range of topics, such as:
- Statistical methods and data analysis for advanced nursing practice
- Health policy
- Philosophical and theoretical foundations for advanced nursing practice
- Healthcare economics and finance
- Healthcare informatics
The Master of Science in Nursing program from the University of Central Arkansas prepares students for a variety of advanced healthcare roles and areas of practice. Students build on their baccalaureate education with a broad knowledge base and practice experience.
The Nurse Educator with Clinical Specialty track explores teaching and learning in higher education. Coursework examines instructional design, teaching strategies, and curriculum. This Master of Nursing Education online program also includes an in-person teaching practicum experience. Students have the opportunity to pursue a clinical specialty within the program.
Core courses teach students topics such as:
- Advanced health assessment
- Research methods for advanced nursing practice
- Integrated pathophysiology and pharmacology
- Population health and epidemiology
Psychology & Human Services
The Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies from the University of Central Arkansas is an online substance abuse counseling degree. This is a completion degree for those who have earned an associate degree. With addiction being one of the country’s greatest social problems, this is an exciting program in an expanding field and will lead to many career opportunities. Graduates will be prepared to work in such settings as hospitals, outpatient clinics, employee assistance programs, schools, the criminal justice system, governmental agencies, and drug courts.
Students completing this online substance abuse counseling degree, the first Bachelor of Science program in Addiction Studies in Arkansas, have a choice between two tracks:
- Prevention
- Treatment