MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Working parents, busy adults, and other nontraditional learners now have two new opportunities to earn a respected University of Wisconsin credential at a pace that fits their busy lives. UW System officials today announced that UW-Parkside has launched versions of its Sales and Global Skills certificate programs in the self-paced, competency-based, UW Flexible Option format. Applications are being accepted now, and students may begin coursework on the first day of any month, beginning March 1, 2015.
“This is an important day for UW-Parkside and adult higher education,” said Aaron Brower, interim chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension, who is providing leadership for the UW Flexible Option. “We are all excited that working adults, in Wisconsin and across the country, are gaining more and more opportunities to get a world-class University of Wisconsin education while balancing commitments to work and family.”
UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford said, “UW-Parkside is committed to innovatively and effectively serving its region. The UW Flexible Option format provides a high-quality, reasonably priced format which allows working adults to move quickly and efficiently toward their educational goals.”
The Sales Certificate is designed for returning adult learners who wish to expand their career opportunities and gain a competitive advantage in business and professional sales. The program is one of only two accredited by the University Sales Education Foundation in the state of Wisconsin, and one of 55 nationwide.
The Global Skills Certificate helps working adults enhance their marketability in an increasingly global marketplace by providing the skills they need to succeed in diverse cultural environments. Students will learn to understand and appreciate the impact of international affairs on their everyday work and lives, and gain a competitive advantage in the job market.
Like all competency-based UW Flexible Option programs, the Sales and Global Skills certificates allow busy adult learners to start their studies any month and work at their own pace, online, when and where their schedules allow. Students advance in their program by passing assessments that demonstrate that they have mastered required knowledge and skills – rather than by accumulating class time or credit hours. In addition, students may draw upon existing knowledge – acquired through prior coursework, military training, on-the-job training, and other learning experiences – to pass assessments more quickly.
The new Parkside certificates join a growing list of UW Flexible Option degree and certificate programs from UW System partners. Currently, UW-Milwaukee offers three bachelor’s degree-completion programs in Nursing (RN to BSN), Biomedical Sciences Diagnostic Imaging, and Information Science and Technology, as well as a certificate program in Business and Technical Communications. An Associate of Arts and Science degree program is offered by UW Colleges. Two other UW institutions, UW-Madison and UW-Stevens Point, are also in the process of creating UW Flexible Option programs.
The UW System is the first public university system to offer competency-based education options on a broad scale and has seen great interest from working adults in Wisconsin and from across the country. Since the first Flexible Option programs launched in January 2014, students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries have visited the website for information and more than 18,000 have started the “Flex Fit” self-assessment to determine if the program is right for them.
The UW Flexible Option is a joint undertaking of UW System institutions and UW-Extension. To find out more about programs offered in the self-paced, competency-based Flexible Option format, please visit http://flex.wisconsin.edu and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/UWFlexOption.
UW Colleges is an institution of the UW System comprised of 13 freshman-sophomore campuses and UW Colleges Online that offer an associate degree in arts and science and a single Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree, and prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for baccalaureate and professional programs. UW-Extension serves Wisconsin families, businesses and communities statewide through offices in all 72 Wisconsin counties and three tribal nations, continuing education services through all 26 UW System campuses, the UW Flexible Option partnership with UW System campuses, the statewide broadcasting networks of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television, and entrepreneurship and economic development activities throughout the state.
