Karen Qualey featured in news story about $100K Z-degree courses

By MacGregor Sharpe
March 27, 2024

MOORHEAD — Minnesota State University Moorhead is getting ready to offer courses that have no costs connected to textbooks, resources or materials.

They’re called Z-degrees. The state is giving MSUM $100,000, to develop the courses.

The average student spends between roughly $700 to $1,200 for books and supplies.

Z-degrees will be unveiled in the spring of 2026. But some courses could be available sooner than that.

“At MSUM we’re really proud to continue to offer flexible opportunities for students,” said MSUM director of online learning Karen Qualey. “Maybe not every course would ultimately have a free option for textbooks, but we’re building towards making sure that many of them can.”

Read the story/watch the video: MSUM receives $100,000 towards Z-degrees

Read the Valley News Live story: MSUM receives funding to develop classes with free course materials