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Friday, March 29, 2024

Don’t let your diploma hit its expiration date

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Not so long ago, science fiction and real life were easy to distinguish. Those sci-fi devices that seemed impossible in our lifetime not only are appearing in real life — but appearing with increasing regularity. With changes in technology also come changes in lifestyle (social networking, driverless vehicles) as well as work life. This increasing pace of change increases our chances of becoming “outdated” unless we adopt a mindset of lifelong learning.

It’s not uncommon to see adults rely on the younger generation to fill in the “knowledge gap” for tasks like setting up a new smartphone or posting information on the internet. But consider the many cases where we as adults need to know for ourselves, like being up-to-date enough to help our children with homework (things have changed a bit since we were in school), meeting the demands of a current job or pursuing possibilities of advancement. In some sense, our diplomas and degrees have expiration dates that we can only extend by keeping current. 

Returning and first-time college students face challenges not only to learn the material, but also to manage the time required to learn and complete the assignments while navigating university life, family and job responsibilities. Fortunately, the marketplace has adapted their offerings to better fit these demands. Many universities are now expanding its offerings to include options outside of the traditional four-year college degree for those who want quicker options. These options vary in terms of length and delivery mode. 

Let’s take a look at some of the options locally for updating business skills:

Marian University recently announced new two-year associate degree programs. Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business on the IUPUI campus offers a 21-credit hour Business Foundations Certificate program. The seven course requirements can be completed completely online in far less time than the traditional business degree. 

In most cases, online classes don’t require the student to learn at a specific class time or location. Because there is no commute involved, Indiana residents have options that extend beyond our state’s borders. In the online space, there are a number of free or low-cost options for updating your business skills.

Massive open online courses, or MOOCs, offer another attractive option. These web-based classes are essentially unlimited in size with students from around the world. EdX and Coursera are two of the top MOOC providers, and they collaborate with some of the top universities and educational institutions. They typically offer recorded lectures, and anybody can audit them for free. Those who pay about $30 to $150 can receive a certificate of completion if they finish additional coursework.

Already have a bachelor’s degree and thinking about a master’s? In some cases, these same classes will apply to a future degree. For example, the Kelley School of Business is partnering with edX to offer new online master’s degrees in accounting and information technology management, beginning in 2019. These programs will offer learners the option to start with a MicroMasters program on edX — a series of graduate-level courses that provide learners with skills that can count toward their full master’s degree or also a valuable standalone credential.

With so many great options, how do you decide how to keep current or how to update your skills?

Certainly cost is a factor, as is how the certificate or degree will be perceived by potential employers. Make sure you check into the reputation and accreditation of any institution you may decide to attend. 

Still not sure if you can balance “life” and school together? A new or returning student might consider starting off small; take a few shorter classes to get back into the rhythm of school. Organizations like the Indianapolis Urban League and public libraries offer a number of short duration classes (the ones on computer skills can be particularly valuable if considering online classes later). And speaking of online classes, let’s be honest. Some of us are simply more comfortable in a face-to-face classroom. Given a choice, you should make an honest assessment of your chances of being successful in each environment before deciding. 

 

Nolan Taylor is a clinical assistant professor of information systems at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business on IUPUI’s campus.

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