Degrees for two create a first for the horse world. Tanya Storey and David Hooper were granted Bachelor of Science degrees from Breyer State University…the first students to graduate from the accredited Equine Studies college program conducted completely online. The program was launched by www.horsecoursesonline.com in May of 2004 and presently has more than 350 active students worldwide. Storey, a Canadian resident, will train and show dressage horses. Hooper, a resident of Los Angeles, CA, will soon be opening his own facility to train recreational trail horses. Storey has trained and shown horses for several years, while Hooper, a former resort manager, is launching a new career. The equine studies degree program is one of a kind; with open entry and no completion deadlines, its focus is on the practical application of knowledge to assure the success of students when they enter careers within the horse industry. Taking one of the 16-required courses at a time, or several, students work at their own pace, getting one-on-one assistance from instructors by e-mail. Program details can be viewed at www.equinedegreeonline.com Storey entered the program in November of 2004, and then took some time out while she participated in several riding-study programs in Europe. Hooper started work on his degree in July of 2005. Shortly after entering the program he purchased an untrained 2-year-old Paint horse (Dallas) who went to school right along with David. While he took his courses on his computer, Hooper trained Dallas step-by-step using the techniques he was learning. Their success was almost immediate, as Dallas attracted several clients for Hooper's fledgling business even before he had completed half of his college courses. Because the program is completely online, it is much more affordable than traditional colleges, yet has a larger than average faculty made up of award winning instructors for every subject taught. Understanding the importance of a college degree, Storey and Hooper are the pioneer graduates of the program, but a herd of horse-loving students are right on their heels. |