DU’s Women’s College will offer new certificate programs in entrepreneurial studies and philanthropic studies beginning in the fall quarter. A new certificate program in community-based research will begin in January 2010.
Certificate programs allow students to explore new areas of interest, combine fields of study and enhance current skills. Students can apply credits toward completion of a certificate or transfer them to a bachelor’s degree program.
“Combining a major area of study with a certificate program prepares students for leadership roles in private and not-for-profit sectors,” says Margo Espenlaub, Women’s College acting associate dean of academics.
Students in the entrepreneurial studies certificate program will develop the knowledge necessary to start a new business or grow an existing business through coursework in marketing, financial reporting, financial decision making, business law, public speaking and global social entrepreneurship, Espenlaub says. Over the course of the program, students will develop and present a comprehensive business plan. Courses in the program are developed and taught in collaboration with faculty from the Daniels College of Business and Women’s College community faculty who bring expertise to the program.
The undergraduate certificate in philanthropic studies — the first in the Rocky Mountain region — is designed for students who are already employed or seeking to work in the nonprofit sector. Students will learn how to manage human and financial resources of a foundation, nonprofit organization or board and develop strategies and fundraising tools while learning how to lead organizations and agencies.
Beginning in January, students in the community-based research certificate program — the first undergraduate program of its kind in the country — will have the opportunity to develop their academic skills and prepare for graduate studies while working with faculty and community partners to resolve local problems. Students will learn how to conduct applied research to affect societal change.
The 18-credit program culminates in a project where students will work with an organization on a community issue under the guidance of a faculty member.
The new programs were implemented as part of the college’s strategic plan to provide new, innovative educational opportunities, Espenlaub says.