Specialized education
Certificates, offered by a number of Texas universities, and so-called specializations being launched at a handful of schools, are short courses covering basic material–health care training or business management, for example–that universities can create and offer to their own students or sell to businesses, individuals or other schools.
“Clearly there’s always altruistic desires to educate everybody,” said Beth Mancini, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing, another school offering certificates.
The college is finalizing three certificates–in care for the elderly, patient safety, and management and leadership–that it will offer through universities in China, and perhaps make money while doing so.
“We have courses that have this content. We have individuals who are experts in delivering this. How does the university think about re-purposing its most valuable assets: its faculty and educational content?” Mancini asked.
Certificates are quickly growing in popularity – the number awarded has spiked 57 percent since 2003, compared to 52 percent growth in associate’s degrees and just a 27 percent increase in bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.
In 2012, colleges and universities across the country awarded more than 1 million certificates and just 990,000 associate’s degrees. They awarded nearly 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees.
Certificates are even more popular in Texas. Colleges awarded 74,000 certificates in 2012, 10,000 more than associate’s degrees. Texas schools awarded 110,000 bachelor’s degrees in 2012.
(Next page: The courses to consider)
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