UCF Today<\/a>\u00a0article,\u00a0more than 900 faculty members have gone through training at UCF to teach courses that are entirely or partially online.<\/p>\nDr. Richard Hartshorne, professor and department chair in the instructional design and technology\u00a0program, said the degree emphasizes learning science, including how students process information and engage with course material, rather than focusing solely on technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the science and art of creating effective learning environments,\u201d Hartshorne said.<\/p>\n
![\"Student](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAQAAAAe\/WZNAAAAEElEQVR42mM8U88ABowYDABAxQPltt5zqAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\")
<\/p>\n
A UCF student navigates the UCF Online website while working on coursework inside the John C. Hitt Library on UCF\u2019s main campus. UCF placed sixth nationally in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Program Rankings, with university officials citing academic success coaching and program design as key factors.<\/p>\n
Samantha Sambucharan<\/p>\n
Hartshorne said the program combines collaborative projects and independent work to reflect real-world instructional design practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stands out about UCF is its leadership commitment to online education,\u201d Hartshorne said. \u201cWe practice what we teach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Kevin Murphy, professor and Darden Endowed Chair in Restaurant Management, said UCF’s No. 6-ranked online hospitality management\u00a0program was designed with working professionals in mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great fit for students already working in the restaurant and lodging industry who want to advance their education,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n
Murphy said while some hands-on components are better suited for in-person instruction, the core curriculum \u2014 including management theory, finance and accounting \u2014 translates effectively online. He added that industry partnerships and alumni engagement help keep coursework aligned with workforce needs.<\/p>\n
Support systems also contributed to UCF\u2019s high ranking for online bachelor\u2019s programs for veterans, Michael Kepner, director of Military and Veteran Student Success, said. He said\u00a0online education allows military-connected students to balance academic goals with service obligations.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudent veterans and active-duty military often have families, jobs and competing requirements,\u201d Kepner said. \u201cThe flexibility of online programs gives them the best chance to complete a degree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monique Carter, associate director of student coaching at UCF Online, said success coaches serve as a bridge between online students and campus resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe help students navigate admissions, transfer credits, benefits and course planning,\u201d Carter said. \u201cOur goal is to make sure they don\u2019t feel disconnected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carter said veteran students often bring complex academic histories, including coursework from multiple institutions and military transcripts. She said consistent check-ins and individualized planning help students stay on track as life circumstances change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want them not just to enroll, but to finish and earn a degree that leads to a career,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n
Carter said UCF\u2019s approach to online education emphasizes intentional course design, consistent student outreach and coordination across departments to help students persist through graduation. She said those structures are designed to support students balancing careers, family responsibilities and military service.<\/p>\n
While faculty and staff across UCF emphasized student support, Kepner pointed to the personal impact of online education.<\/p>\n
\u201cHearing from students about the benefits of online programs \u2014 those are the things that really, at the end of the day, make you proud to be a member of UCF,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students study inside the John C. Hitt Library on UCF\u2019s main campus as online and in-person coursework continues…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":160379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[4401,115,139,141,140],"class_list":{"0":"post-160378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-orlando","8":"tag-academics","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-orlando","11":"tag-orlando-headlines","12":"tag-orlando-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}