Pitt Online’s web launch marks a new era for flexible, career-focused education

The University of Pittsburgh has launched Pitt Online, a new web destination that brings its full portfolio of online and hybrid programs together under one roof. More than a website, it is a reimagined approach to how Pitt finds, serves and enrolls the next generation of working professionals — and a signal that the University is serious about competing in one of higher education’s most crowded and consequential spaces.

“What we are launching is bigger than a website. Pitt Online represents a new chapter in how the University thinks about online and hybrid education, not as something individual schools manage in isolation, but as a shared University asset and a source of real competitive strength,” said Associate Provost for Digital Education Anthony Delitto. “When we present Pitt as one unified destination, we amplify everything our schools have built and make it possible to reach students we simply were not reaching before.”

The platform was developed by the University Center for Excellence in Digital Education (Pitt EDGE), led by Delitto and housed in the Office of the Provost. Pitt EDGE functions as the University’s internal online program manager, working alongside schools to build, market and grow online and hybrid programs; meanwhile, Pitt Online speaks directly to prospective students, including working professionals, career changers and lifelong learners who want the credential and community of a top public research university without putting their lives on hold to get it.

The need for a platform like this has never been more urgent. Online program offerings nationally have grown 69% over the last 15 years while the average number of students per online program has fallen 6% — that’s more competition for a finite pool of students. Plus, Pitt’s own graduate student market research found 64.8% of prospective students use university websites as a primary tool for researching programs.

“This is not just about what the Pitt Online website does for us today, but what it positions us to do going forward. We have been working to build a modern enrollment strategy that is smarter, more connected and more competitive, and this platform is central to that vision,” said Natalie Baney, executive director of digital enrollment. “We are taking full advantage of the Pitt brand in a way we have not done before in the online space, and we are building the kind of digital infrastructure that lets us find our audience and serve them well from their very first search all the way to enrollment.”

The site is the result of nearly two years of work spanning strategy, design and development, built in collaboration with partner schools, University Communications and Marketing, and a team of external creative and technical partners.

“What we launched is something to be proud of, but what excites me most is where it goes from here. Pitt Online is not a finished product. It is a living platform that will grow, improve, and get smarter with every interaction, every new program and every conversation we have with our partners,” said Director of Digital Operations Megan Sulerud, who led the site’s design and development. “We are just getting started.”

Read more about what sets Pitt Online apart.