The North Dakota Magnet of Online Education

(Photo by Shawna Schill/UND Today)

(By Walter Criswell. UND Today) – When Maggie Brockling began UND’s online Master of Public Administration program, she was living and working in Massachusetts. One degree later, she’s now in Grand Forks, serving as the economic development director for East Grand Forks.

How did that happen?

“They had me at ‘it’s the coldest, flattest place’ and ‘you can watch your dog run away for days!’” she joked.

But Brockling wasn’t just charmed by the dry humor and weather. Through her UND courses, she connected with classmates working in public service across North Dakota and Minnesota. Meanwhile, she’d hit a professional ceiling in Massachusetts, with few leadership opportunities opening up.

In contrast, “on my first walk around the Grand Forks community, I learned about all the young people in leadership roles here,” she said. “I was like, ‘Alright! This is awesome!’”