2tor’s new mobile app puts graduate school onto smartphones [exclusive]

Ah, the university campus. Tree-lined pathways, library stacks filled with students toiling away at antique wooden desks, the chimes of the bell tower. Internet degrees may not replicate these sensory experiences, but education technology company 2tor is putting top-tier graduate programs online.

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Today, this hot startup is announcing the second iteration of its mobile app exclusively on VentureBeat. The new app offers an updated design and user interface, as well as more features to help students get the most out of their education.

2tor partners with elite universities to bring their advanced degree programs to the web. The company supplies academic departments with technology, tools, expertise, manpower, and money so they can offer the same quality of education to enrolled students working remotely. On average, 2tor spends $10 million per program. The online version involves live, weekly face-to-face classroom sessions as well as access to collaborative documents, participation in groups, academic notifications, and learning management systems.

“We choose our partners carefully and make it clear that both parties have to be all in,” said CTO James Kenigsberg. “We are mutually exclusive with these schools and won’t do another MBA or another nursing degree with anyone else. We spend every penny to make this amazing, and they hold nothing back. Professors don’t feel like they have to hold on to their secrets, the faculty become the stars of the show and demonstrate what makes their program the best out there.”

The platform is available for the Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, Masters of Social Work from the USC’s School of Social Work, Masters in Nursing from Georgetown University’s School of Nursing & Health Studies, and Masters of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

This semester, it added two new degree programs — Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government, and Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

Universities benefit not only from enhanced academic offerings but also from the ability to expand their programs to a larger number of students. Qualified students around the world can have greater access to advanced education. Before 2tor, the two USC programs had 70 graduates. Now after two years using the platform, there are 2,500 across 40 countries, and the rankings have improved as well.

The mobile presence offers more opportunities to track student progress. According to the company’s data regarding mobile usage, participating students are highly active. For example, over half of the MBA students at UNC regularly use 2tor’s iOS app to connect with professors, engage with the curriculum, set reminders for due dates, and monitor their grades.

Graduate students can learn and stay on top of their studies from anywhere. If only this option was available for me back when I was braving the brutal Ithaca winters.

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2tor was started in 2010 by John Katzman, founder of The Princeton Review. It has raised over $96 million in venture capital and is headquartered in Landover, MD, with 400 employees nationwide.