In a world where seekers of knowledge can flip on a computer and surf through great libraries, universities are becoming equally fast and flexible by offering new series of condensed classes for individuals who want one particular skill and not a degree.
They’re called certificate programs, and they’re nothing new–most colleges and universities have offered a smattering of them for years. But once relegated to so-called “adult education” programs for dabblers in Western lit and automotive mechanics, certificate programs are undergoing a major face-lift at institutions that now see non-degree education as an important way to draw new students and as a fresh source of major revenue.
Says Tom Gibbons, director of the office of continuing and professional education at DePaul University: “Higher education is starting to recognize that certificates can do several things–there’s clearly a revenue-generating aspect here, but there’s the opportunity to partner with local corporations and augment their training agendas. Also, because we are a Catholic university, we can offer certain training that supports the mission of our school and helps the community.”
Since 1996, DePaul has been working to develop a new curriculum of certificate programs that better serve Chicago-area workers who need to brush up on skills in their chosen field or add new skills to qualify for higher salaries and promotions.
Gibbons admits the task is gargantuan because, like many large institutions, DePaul’s certificate programs have operated independently within the schools they’re associated with and never under a central umbrella.
“Our goal isn’t to break up the innovation at the (individual) schools, but to create a central office where a person can call in and say, `I’m interested in all your certificate programs in Unix and mediation training because I have different people at my firm who need that’ and they’ll be able to get an immediate referral on all of them.”
Schools ranging from the University of California at Berkeley to the University of Virginia describe their certificate programs in depth on-line, while other schools tend to shy away from emphasizing certificate programs over their formal bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Calls to a handful of local universities brought varying responses; both the University of Chicago and DeVry Inc.’s campuses don’t offer certificate programs at all, while a spokeswoman for Northwestern said that while individual schools have some certificate programs, there’s no centralized clearing house for that information. Additionally, Roosevelt University, Loyola University and University of Illinois at Chicago also offer certificate programs.
Columbia College is pursuing a growth strategy in a non-credit certificate program called Columbia II that offers courses in such eclectic areas as sports and entertainment management, hotel management and makeup artistry.
Associate Provost Phil Klukoff, who started the Columbia II program in 1996, says the offerings may seem disparate, but are really all connected to Columbia’s emphasis in media, entertainment arts and communications. “We cannot do what DePaul, Northwestern and U. of C. do with their academic backfield, so we emphasize career programs that can either help individuals broaden their experience or make a complete career change.
“It’s a very profitable niche for many campuses, and if you are offering these courses without (degree) credit, you aren’t competing with your two- and four-year degree programs,” says Klukoff. “Why go back for a full degree if you only need specific skills?”
And prospects for certificate holders look good. Klukoff adds, “What’s interesting about the (sports and entertainment management) program is that you would think there are a finite number of jobs out there to compete for, but professional sports are just exploding.”
Meanwhile, at DePaul, some of the most popular programs are run out of the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems, and DePaul’s College of Commerce. At the computing school, certificate programs serve more than 600 information technology professionals each year through 10- or 12-week courses that provide up-to-date information on Java and Web development, client/server technology, Visual C++ programming, Windows software development, DB2 programming, telecommunications and local area networks.
The school also offers a 30-week accelerated certificate program called the Computer Career Program that certifies more than 200 students a year for entry into the computer field.
At the College of Commerce, Henry Rodkin, director of DePaul’s Center for Professional Excellence, is just finishing up the administration of a one-year certificate program for managers of small- and medium-sized companies. In its inaugural year, the Executive Circle program served 12 students whose companies picked up the $5,000 tuition “because they have been seen as potential leaders of their companies,” said Rodkin.
The Executive Circle program runs the third Friday of each month and offers a cross-disciplinary curriculum for future senior managers that includes finance, management, marketing and global business courses. Rodkin explained that the most important factor in getting into the program is the company’s recommendation, not the person’s educational background or management track experience.
This selective approach to higher education disturbs some educators who believe that certificate programs dilute the attraction of accredited degree programs, Gibbons said, but he looks at these programs as developing a whole new audience and alumni base for the future.
“For those who believe that using faculty and other resources to support (certificate) programs siphons off resources from degree programs, all I can say is that it’s a short-end view. These programs attract a whole new kind of student and create a new source of revenue that can benefit all programs,” he said.
