About Global Campus

Throughout its history, Kansas State University Global Campus has provided educational opportunities for adult learners. An accredited institution of higher education, K-State has offered thousands of conferences, seminars, courses and degree programs to distance education students and work professionals in all 50 states and 41 countries. We continually utilize the latest technology for distance delivery, standing behind 50 years of success and progress in distance education.

Since our inception in 1966, we have helped make a K-State education more accessible to adult learners all over the world—with technology milestones (PDF) along the way that have shaped how knowledge is delivered via distance.

Our services are wide and far reaching. In addition to distance education, we provide coordination of noncredit professional development courses and programs through our Program Development and Management office. We also believe in fostering strong ties to our community and the importance of lifelong learning and personal development for all through the UFM Community Learning Center.

Our Journey

1960s
Long before desktop computers, the internet, email, smartphones and tablets, the automobile helped deliver education. K-State faculty brought their teaching on the road and provided instruction on location throughout Kansas.

1970s – early 1990s
TELENET, an audioconference network with site locations throughout Kansas, launched in 1970. This technology allowed students all over the state to connect with each other for coursework and communication at the same time, with no one located more than 30 minutes from a site. Thirty-seven sites in all, plus a 72-port bridge, made it possible for students to connect from all over the U.S., including Alaska. During the 1970s, some courses with written lectures were printed in the newspaper, and in the 1980s, some lectures aired on public television. The onset of K-State's videoconferencing system, TELENET 2, launched in the 1990s.

Mid-1990s – present
In the mid-1990s, with the introduction of online learning, distance education delivery went national, then global. Clunky VHS tapes became CDs, CD content went online, and now online content is interactive, integrating more social technologies than ever before. Today, the distance education program has enrolled students from around the country and world who complete bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral program, certificates, minors, professional development and hundreds of courses online each year.

Our Future

Much has changed and is still evolving in the way Kansas State University delivers its educational content to distance students. What remains the same and what will carry us into the next 50 years is the drive to push forward new educational delivery methods and to bring the university and K-State educational experience to place-bound students, no matter their location.

Our Mission

To extend Kansas State University's intellectual resources worldwide through quality degree programs, lifelong learning and professional development opportunities.