How It Works | Great Plains IDEA

Great Plains IDEA is a consortium of 20 renowned public universities from across the United States, offering online degree and certificate programs in human sciences and agriculture. These transformative academic programs foster an expanded knowledge of skillset in your field of interest, in a flexible online learning environment.

Through Great Plains IDEA, you do not need to choose to study from just one university as you will receive engaging online instruction in high-demand professional fields from faculty across the country. Our faculty collaborate closely and have developed a student-centric online academic environment that maximizes learning and preparation for career advancement. 

Learn more about how Great Plains IDEA works in the following video.

How to Apply and What Happens When You are Admitted

As a Great Plains IDEA student, you apply and are admitted to one university which becomes your home university. The application process varies by university, but most require both a general application and a program-specific application. You can find out more about the admission process and requirements on our How to Apply page.

The Great Plains IDEA Online Academic Experience

All of the Great Plains IDEA online degrees and certificates include courses taught by multiple universities who partner together to offer degrees in human sciences and agriculture that they could not offer alone. Our member universities hold regional accreditation, ensuring you are receiving the highest quality online education.

Each university uses its own learning management system (LMS) to deliver online course content, which you will use to complete all coursework. When you complete your coursework, the degree or certificate is awarded by your home university.

Get to know our member universities and the programming they offer; you can also view where the universities are located on our interactive map.

Affordable Common Cost

When you enroll in an online academic degree or certificate program through Great Plains IDEA, you pay tuition directly to your home university even though you will receive online instruction from faculty from all partner universities. However, all students pay one common price for tuition across the undergraduate and graduate levels regardless of the program or whether they are in-state or out-of-state. There are no distance delivery costs, and the common price covers the course cost per credit hour, standardizing your investment in your career advancement.

Learn more about the Great Plains IDEA common price.

Connect with the Great Plains IDEA Team to Get Started

Through Great Plains IDEA, you will receive a transformative and enriching online academic experience led by expert faculty from across the country. Our team is available to help you navigate the process of getting started on your online academic journey. Contact us at 785-532-1999 or alliance@ksu.edu if you need assistance. If you know your program of interest, apply now!