Everyone could use more knowledge and skills in today’s business environment, but not everyone has the time to earn a graduate business degree. To help solve that problem, the Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University offers business graduate certificates that students may complete online or in night and weekend classes in about a year.
“Many of our students already have a graduate degree, but want to enhance their skills in a specific area for their present job or future career,” said Pamela Harroff, associate dean of DeVry’s College of Business & Management. “Others have a bachelor’s degree and aren’t ready to commit to a full graduate degree program. Earning a certificate can get them comfortable with academia again. That coursework can be applied to a degree in the same field.”
There are advantages to earning a certificate from Keller, Harroff said.
“DeVry is such a large national school that we have advisors everywhere who help us keep our fingers on the pulse of industry. We can change courses quickly to fit industry needs,” she said.
Classes are small and are taught by faculty who have master’s or doctoral degrees and also work in the field, so students get real-world knowledge. The courses are convenient and tailored to working adults. In metro Atlanta, the Keller Graduate School of Management has seven locations: Decatur, Alpharetta, Cobb Galleria, Buckhead, Perimeter, Duluth and Stockbridge.
Certificate programs consist of six to nine eight-week courses. Students may take classes online, in class or a combination. The cost is about $3,000 per course.
“We focus on six certificates in Atlanta, out of the dozen or so that we offer,” Harroff said. “Our biggest programs are in accounting and information systems management, because that’s where the jobs are.”
The accounting certificate concentrates on auditing, taxes and budgeting from a business perspective. A separate 30-credit-hour course prepares students for the CPA exam, while addressing advanced accounting skills and specialties such as forensics and international accounting.
The information systems management certificate prepares students to manage information technology and to direct teams of systems analysts, computer programmers, database managers and other support specialists.
DeVry also offers a general business administration certificate that teaches a basic understanding of management, accounting and business theory. There are also certificates in health services management, human resource management and project management.
“Building management skills with a specific focus definitely adds knowledge and an advanced credential to the résumé. It can also increase earning power,” Harroff said.
Students also benefit from job search assistance from the school’s career services department and by networking with faculty, fellow students and alumni.
Applicants are not required to take a GMAT or GRE exam if they have earned a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 2.70, including a grade of B or higher in college algebra and English composition. Otherwise, prospective students can provide GMAT or GRE scores or take DeVry’s alternative graduate school admission test.
For information, call 404-270-2700 or go to www.keller.edu.
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