Illinois Tech Launches Groundbreaking Online Degrees in Partnership with Risepoint to Expand Access to Career-Ready Education

New online graduate and undergraduate degrees build on Illinois Tech's legacy of innovation and flexibility, offering mission-driven learners nationwide a powerful path to opportunity

CHICAGO, July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Chicago's only tech-focused university, is expanding its mission to empower learners everywhere through the launch of eight new online graduate programs designed to deliver world-class education in flexible, career-aligned formats. Enrolling now for fall 2025, the programs will be offered in partnership with the education technology company Risepoint.

Rooted in Illinois Tech's more than 25-year history of pioneering digital learning, the new programs reflect the university's commitment to increasing access to high-quality education and preparing students for the challenges of today's rapidly evolving workforce. The fully online degrees combine academic rigor with real-world relevance, offering practical, problem-solving curricula and hands-on experiences in fields that are in high demand.

These programs are designed to meet urgent needs across sectors: from equipping financial professionals with Python-powered analytics training, to preparing public service leaders to drive measurable community impact, to advancing national health and safety through specialized training in radiation protection. All are structured to support working professionals seeking to advance their careers with flexible, high-impact learning.

The first of the new online offerings launched include:

• Master of Applied Science in Health Physics
  
  
• Master of Science degrees in Finance, Business Analytics, and Project Management
  
  
• Master of Public Administration with plans to expand concentration in Nonprofit and Mission-Driven Management; Security, Safety, and Risk Management; Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship; and General M.P.A.

"These programs represent a bold expansion of our mission: to provide human-centered, innovation-driven education to all who seek to make an impact," said Mallik Sundharam, Illinois Tech Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. "By designing online undergraduate and graduate programs that are accessible, flexible, and deeply connected to industry needs, we're opening new doors of opportunity for students nationwide—especially for working professionals and underserved learners."

The programs are designed to accommodate students balancing work, family, and community commitments, without compromising the excellence and experiential focus that defines an Illinois Tech education. Each program integrates Illinois Tech's nationally recognized Elevate program, which guarantees every student access to hands-on learning and career-readiness experiences—including internships, research, and mentorship.

"At Illinois Tech, we're not just offering classes online—we're delivering the full power of a purpose-driven education that transforms lives," said Sundharam. "This initiative is about meeting learners where they are, while staying grounded in our core values of access, excellence, and innovation."

"As part of this mission, the digital transformation of our most valuable assets, our academic content and credentials stands at the heart of our strategy. This forward-looking approach allows us to overcome geographic limitations and extend the Illinois Tech experience to learners nationwide and around the world. It lays the foundation for our broader vision: a flexible, stackable, scalable, and inclusive education ecosystem that evolves with the needs of today's learners and those of the future."

Illinois Tech has long been at the forefront of online and hybrid learning. As early as the 1990s, the university was delivering engineering and science instruction remotely to working professionals in the U.S. and India via broadcast technology, a global distance-learning innovation that predated the mainstream rise of online education by decades. Today's expansion builds on that legacy and leverages Illinois Tech's expertise in workforce-relevant fields and student-first design.

Fernando Bleichmar, CEO of Risepoint, praised Illinois Tech's leadership: "Illinois Tech continues to distinguish itself as a bold, solutions-oriented institution. These new online programs are a powerful example of what it looks like to fuse academic innovation with real-world relevance. By prioritizing flexibility, career alignment, and access, Illinois Tech is not only meeting the needs of modern learners, it is shaping the future of graduate education. We're honored to support this groundbreaking work." 

Illinois Tech's launch of new online degrees follows a sustained period of momentum and national recognition. The university was recently named an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education—the highest possible designation for access and post-graduation earnings. It ranks #1 in Illinois for Best Salaries of Graduates (Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025) and leads the state in economic mobility.

To learn more about Illinois Tech's online graduate programs or to apply, visit onlineprograms.iit.edu. Applications are open now.

Illinois Institute of Technology

Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech was born to liberate the power of collective difference to advance technology and innovation for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law. Illinois Tech students are guaranteed access to hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university's one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the city's living lab, Illinois Tech fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.

Risepoint

Risepoint is an education technology company that provides world-class support and trusted expertise to more than 100 universities and colleges. We primarily work with regional universities, helping them develop and grow their high-ROI, workforce-focused online degree programs in critical areas such as nursing, teaching, business, and public service. Risepoint is dedicated to increasing access to affordable education so that more students, especially working adults, can improve their careers and meet employer and community needs. Learn more at risepoint.com. 

SOURCE Risepoint