You can’t stop education. It isn’t bound by age, time or place. And neither is the College. And, with its new School of Professional Studies, the College of Charleston is more committed to lifelong learning than ever before.
Established to expand access to high-quality continuing education for adult and nontraditional students, the School of Professional Studies offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as continuing education classes and professional certification programs.
“The School of Professional Studies is poised to support the educational goals of adults who are currently in the workforce, adults who are transitioning back to the workforce and adults who are seeking to upgrade their knowledge and skills or make a change in career,” says Godfrey Gibbison, dean of the new school, which is located in a new facility in North Charleston.
And, for those who have already earned college-level credits or an associate degree from a technical college, the school has designed a degree-completion program. The Bachelor in Professional Studies degree blends a strong introduction to the liberal arts and applied learning opportunities. It now offers two concentrations – health care information technology and management and leadership – but will soon offer a hotel and conference services management concentration, as well.
The School of Professional Studies is committed to responding to the changing needs of the business community – adding workforce training and creating new degree programs as needed. That adaptability is key.
“The best way that an educational institution can participate in the economic development of the region is to help in the creation of a highly educated, adaptable, dynamic labor force,” Gibbison says, adding: “A dynamic and adaptable labor force should be able to take advantage of the jobs that are available today – but, more important, it should be able to seamlessly transition to, or even be the creator of, the jobs of tomorrow.”
