Q&A on continuing education

Many of the area schools are rich in continuing education and master’s programs. Their leaders shared their thoughts on why it is so vital to continue one’s education.

President Steven Knapp, George Washington University

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

We traditionally have been an institution with a strong role in the capital region, and our opportunities tend to develop from careers people have chosen. Colin Powell is a famous alum of ours who went through our MBA program. He really rose through the ranks too, from chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to secretary of state, and that’s just one example.

Continuing your education really opens up horizons that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible. In our institution’s earlier history, our campus was a lot less residential; students came for exactly this type of education.

Q: What are some of the best programs that GW has?

We teach a large number of students in D.C. on political management in our School of Political Management. People come to GW to learn the skills involved with political strategy, science and technology. It is also important to understand global interest and how it increasingly affects global business. GW also has a new program on homeland security and in the field of health policy. We have a program on art therapy — basically it lets students learn how to use art for therapy.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

I’d say to look around and see what’s available. We’re not far away from the Hill. Of all the major universities, we are the closest to Capitol Hill. We had an alumni reception there a few weeks ago with networking. It helped them to form connections and meet people in the same stage of life as them, with their same interests and career aspirations. I’d be happy to speak with those who may be interested in attending George Washington University. My best advice is, we have a rich set of offerings and to know your strengths.

President Alan G. Merten, George Mason University

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

Furthering your education is vital to survive in today’s workforce. It’s under the rubric of lifelong learning. A student should now graduate with the anticipation of having five careers. Before, it was only five jobs. Employers know that having a professional education will help with their employees’ current job.

Q: What are some of the best programs that George Mason has?
 
George Mason has some great graduate programs. Some members of our grad program are seeking career advancement, while others want to change professionally or some just want to continue their education to fulfill a certain passion in their lives. Our programs are all ranked with national prominence and allow students to explore a discipline in depth. George Mason offers more than 100 graduate degree and certificate programs for the working professional and our doctoral, master’s and certificate programs emphasize research and professional training. We also offer many evening and Internet classes to make educating oneself as easy as possible.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

I would say to do it for yourself. It helps make you a better person. It really adds to the lifelong aspect of learning. Find your passion, and what you think is best for you. Sometimes furthering your education may be associated with a job transfer. We are used to teaching lifelong learners. We originally began teaching nontraditional students before traditional. The teaching metaphor of “sage on stage” comes to mind for traditional students. Those who want to further their education and who may be more of a nontraditional student are what we call “guide on the side.”

Provost James Brennan, Catholic University

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

First and foremost, with this constantly changing global economy, it’s a real challenge for both students and faculty at any higher education institution to figure out their careers with all of this uncertainty and unpredictability. While working, nowadays people tend to change jobs and careers multiple times. Careers are unable to be predicted from this vantage point. It’s important to really be a lifelong learner. The 21st and 22nd centuries will be open to continually enhancing credentials. Knowing the basics is cognitive and critical to keeping a learning profile active and open as the world of work changes.

Q: What are some of the best programs that Catholic has?

This specific market has lifelong learners seeking to add and enhance new skills for careers and advancement. A major initiative that has been part of a three-year development with CUA is the launching of three new interdisciplinary masters. The first we plan to launch in the fall.

It is in the school of architecture and involves urban planning and design. The second is sustainability, both environmental and demographic sustainability. We also offer a master’s in science and management, which is a much shorter degree designed to take management science and apply it to different areas.

We also offer a human resources development project, as well as a project in church business management. In fall 2009, we also plan on introducing a fall 2009 sports management master’s. Each master’s has a subset that can be packaged into a certificate for people who can’t commit to a 30-hour master’s degree. George Washington University, AU to a lesser extent and George Mason have had a long track record of success in this marketplace. We try to have students identify certain niches to build on strengths that they have at the university already. We’ve seen great success among individuals who want this type of program. We’ve done considerable market research on this. We’ve had a consulting firm come in to work with us for a year, so we really plan to grow in the next three years.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

Students should find a program that will benefit them with career enhancement. Some underestimate the time commitment with an online course as well; most are very time-intensive. You need to weigh the options and figure out the best fit for you at this point in your life. If an institution can’t provide you with this type of information, then it may not be the best fit for you at this point in your life. I know we do have the resources, advising and information needed to make intelligent decisions about educational choices.

Robert Manuel, dean of the School of Continuing Studies, Georgetown

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

There are so many technological advances as of late that it’s important to maintain a relevance to your skill set. You have to maintain your competitiveness the way you would any aspect of your life. It’s no longer the case where you have one job your entire life. You have to now be employable your entire life. Education doesn’t just stop with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.

Q: What are some of the best programs that Georgetown has?

Georgetown has a great liberal studies program. It’s interdisciplinary, human values-based. We also have many professional studies degrees, including journalism, sports industry management, public relations and real estate. Our programs are very applied and they are specific to their industries that they’re related to. We also have many shorter format, non-credit courses in project management so you can learn specific skills in a quick way. They’re really specific to the needs of the student.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

Match the program to your interest. Ask yourself, What is the real passion for you — what is the real fire burning inside? Make sure you research a program meaningful to you and your life circumstances. Make sure your program fits into your active work schedule. Perhaps it can be on the weekends or in the evenings. Also, make sure you can focus on your education.

President Neil Kerwin, American University

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

The importance of furthering your education is faith in the ability of academic institutions to stay current, particularly in the level of master’s degrees. Pursuing professional development has to be crucial. Fields are changing and it’s important to share experiences with a group of like-minded professionals in similar stages in their careers. Many probably will have very different career experiences and that is vital to learn from them.

Q: What are some of the best programs that American has?

I don’t know a school or college right now that isn’t offering first-rate work. Our School of Communication is offering leading-edge work, especially with convergent media — the bringing together of film, print and public communication. The School of International Service focuses on a number of areas broadly related to effective international communication and peace conflict resolution. The School of Public Affairs is one of the finest in the U.S. and continues to stay at the cutting edge in three fields. The Kogod School of Business recently broke through and ranked 37th in regional MBA programs by The Wall Street Journal. It impresses upon a student’s need for lifelong learning. The number of times one changes jobs or careers has changed — this generation of students has to be prepared for a lifetime of change.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

You must not assume that graduate education looks today like it might have looked 25 years ago. AU moved a lot of its graduate program to evenings and weekends and we now have a distance education supplement. Conventional master’s degrees work, but we must examine closely the pedagogy of learning theory pursued in each given degree. Being in D.C. allows for enormously rich resources for people to advance in their education. We should all be privileged to be in D.C. at this time.

President Charlene Drew Jarvis, Southeastern University

Q: Can you describe the importance of furthering your education?

Students who wish to remain in the Washington region need the competency that is necessary for success in industries that exist in this region. They have been given the practical means to achieve their goals by furthering their education.

Q: What are some of the best programs that Southeastern has?

 Our focus is management, such as business management, government management and healthcare management with degrees at three levels. We have a continuum of opportunities at Southeastern. We have our management fields as well as two-year programs in masters, and certificate programs as well. The university has developed a particular focus on reflecting its history as the Washington School of Accountancy. The university was developed by the YMCA in 1879. The YMCA’s goal then and our goal now is to give students a practical education in these fields, with the practitioners as faculty members, and by providing in-service training to the students in his or her workplace. Most of our students are already employed.

Q: What’s the best advice you’d give to someone who may want to further his or her education?

We found at SEU that offering classes in the evenings, weekends and online addresses the needs of the working professional. We found that even younger students are working full-time, so the scheduling of classes becomes a central part of their higher education search.

The advice that I would give to students who are already working, are looking for career advancement and small class sizes and a nurturing environment, is to focus on the reasons for which they are coming to college or advancing their degree or education. They should make sure that when they come to Southeastern they say, Here are my goals; now help me to reach these goals. It’s a very active process, and we’re a small school that provides individual attention to meet these goals.