Continuing Education

In D.C., it seems that no one can hold just one occupation. Slashes abound in everyone’s job titles, as in: “I’m a CEO/mother/philanthropist,” or “I’m a doctor/writer/foremost WWII expert.” This says something not only about the current job market, in which competition is the name of the game, but about the kind of people who live here.

Washingtonians are diverse people with a myriad of interests and even more varied careers. In the District, one career path can carry a person through multiple fields, from one occupation to the next, making continuing education all the more important.

Whether or not you decide to obtain you Master’s or Doctorate, the benefits of continuing your education throughout your life are enormous: the qualifications you receive can help to keep you competitive in the job market; you can learn more about an area of interest that you’ve been curious about; you can receive certification in a new field, expanding your career opportunities.

The District’s universities offer its residents hundreds of educational opportunities, from certification programs to individual classes open to those with curious minds. In Georgetown’s back yard, Georgetown University is a prime example of all that continuing education programs have to offer.
At GU, the School of Continuing Studies offers numerous certificates to supplement the degree or degrees you already might have, including Budget and Finance, Business Administration, Business and Professional English, Corporate Executive Leadership, Digital Media Management, Diversity Strategy, Financial Planning, Forensic Accounting, Franchise Management, Government Executive Leadership, International Business Management, International Migration Studies, Leadership Coaching, Litigation Technology/Legal Project Management, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, Organizational Consulting and Change Leadership, Project Management, Social Media for Government, Strategy and Performance Management and Paralegal Studies.

Of course, the school also offers full Master of Professional Studies programs, and many of the people who get their Master’s are working and going to school part time, according to Maggie Moore, Communications Officer at the University.

However, if attaining your Master’s isn’t part of your game plan, Georgetown provides at least one certificate in the department of each Master’s program called an Advanced Professional Certificate. For instance, you can obtain an Advanced Professional Certificate in Journalism through the Master of Professional Studies in Journalism department; similarly, you can get certificates in either Diversity and Inclusion Management, International Human Resources Management or Strategic Human Capital Management through the Human Resources Management program.

Georgetown also has more unconventional learning programs such as Mom Congress, hosted in partnership with Parenting magazine, which gives parents the opportunity to hear from education experts while sharing their own concerns and ideas.

Additionally, the university offers a non-degree program to senior citizens in which those ages 65 and up can audit undergraduate level courses. The School of Continuing Studies can be reached at 202-687-8700. Visit scs.georgetown.edu for more information on these and other programs.