Professional, Continuing and Online (PCO) Education Courses can be bundled to earn to the PCO Professional Certificate. Complete any five courses below to earn the certificate or take just the courses you need and receive a badge for every course. 

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Markets, Marketing, and Market Research in Professional Continuing and Online Education

How are new and changing markets identified? How are programs -- in both content and format - developed to meet the needs of learners? How can data analysis help shape ongoing understanding of markets? This course will explore the processes and operations that convert markets into enrollments.  

Managing New Enrollments - From Prospective Student to Matriculant

Enrollment management begins when a prospective student inquires and continues to when they are successfully enrolled. It includes all that we do, or should do, as institutions to help prospective students along this journey and to achieve our enrollment goals. This course reviews the steps in the student enrollment journey and analyzes the important activities necessary at each stage including responding to inquiries, admitting new students, staying in touch before the program begins, and onboarding new students to help them anticipate and adjust to their new program. 

Program Planning and Oversight in Online and Professional Continuing Education

How do those in online and professional continuing education create their program portfolio? How are resources marshalled and managed? This course explores how an often unique mix of programs can be designed, developed, and delivered -- on-campus, on-site, and online. 

Academic Strategic Planning in a Constantly Changing Environment

What are the processes for identifying opportunities, developing evidence, determining goals, defining key milestones, establishing accountability, and measuring outcomes? How do you engage others in these processes? This course explores how strategy combines analysis and action. Learning, planning, implementing, and reassessing permeate all levels of online and professional continuing education -- more so than perhaps any other area of higher education. 

Forecasting, Budgeting, and Managing Money in an Environment of Uncertainty and Risk

How do those in online and professional continuing education analyze opportunities, project revenue and expenses, identify prudent ways to manage resources, monitor cash flow, and mitigate financial disaster? How do you measure success and respond to failure, reallocate resources, and determine new investment opportunities? Those in online and professional continuing education often operate as a stand-alone business -- by relying on revenue to support operating costs, and depending on forecasting, cash flow, and  agile pivoting to new strategies. 

Understanding the Adult Learner and Other Constituencies in Online and Professional Continuing Education

Who are the constituents and stakeholders that compose the ecosystem of online and professional continuing education? What are the unique characteristics and educational needs of adult learners? How do the characteristics of the student market determine how programs are designed and delivered?

This course examines prospective student markets and how to address their educational needs. This course also examines the roles of employers, communities, and government agencies in creating educational opportunities.

Overview of Online and Professional Continuing Education

What are the various ways universities organize and empower their units for online and professional continuing education?  What are some unique features and approaches within these entities, particularly in how they address the educational needs of adult learners? This course provides a broad understanding of the variety of roles and models for online and professional continuing education across the academic landscape -- and the issues and opportunities they face. This course also looks at internal organizational structures, skill sets, and staffing. Finally, this course discusses professionalism and the role that UPCEA plays in networking and educating those in this domain. 

Credentials Beyond Degrees – The Role of Online and Professional Continuing Educators in Credential Innovation

Online and professional continuing education units have long been the leaders championing the development and implementation of innovative educational programs designed to meet the needs of a non-traditional learner. In recent years, new forms of credentialing – micro-credentials, certificates, digital badges, among other designations – have emerged as new measures of educational attainment. These credentials have become far more common in universities and in other sectors of American society. This course delves into the role online and professional continuing education units play in alternative credentials, from evaluating program opportunities to the design, implementation, quality assurance, and administration of these credentials. How should non-degree credentials be created and run with integrity, clarity in the market, and compatibility within the traditional aspects of the university? This pragmatic course will explore opportunities and obstacles in developing and delivering alternative credentials. 

Designing Equitable and Inclusive Programs, Pathways, and Partnerships

This course will explore pragmatic approaches to the opportunities and considerations for online and professional continuing education units in developing and implementing programming, specifically focused on meeting the diversity, equity and inclusion goals of their institutions and communities. We will take a comparative and national perspective on underserved populations and ways their higher education needs can be addressed. Higher education institutions play a critical role at the nexus of career exploration, upskilling, apprenticeship, and credentialing needs of communities through online and professional continuing education. We will examine the role that online and professional continuing education units and their faculty and staff play in creating initiatives that serve a double bottom line. Students will share their unique perspectives and learn from one another on  program design, marketing, content strategy, and partner engagement.

Explore leadership within higher education at a new level by focusing on how to responsibly manage people, data, and ideas with the UPCEA Leader courses. The UPCEA PCO Leader Certificate Program is recommended for online and professional continuing education leaders and those preparing for a significant leadership role in online and professional continuing education. Each course is four weeks long. Complete all five Leader courses successfully and receive the UPCEA Leader Certificate. 

• Next UPCEA PCO Leader Cohort begins April 1, 2024
• Application deadline: March 1, 2024
• Program Cost: UPCEA Members: $1990; Non-members: $2,990

Click Here to Apply Now!

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Leading with Diplomacy, Data, and Drive: the Unique Imperative of the Online and Professional Continuing Education Leader

What are the characteristics that produce success among online and professional continuing education leaders? Effective leaders develop evolving strategies, negotiate often treacherous political mazes, oversee a variety of contributors in their organization, and constantly seek  evidence for action -- all in the pursuit of integrity and success. This course focuses on the key elements of leadership -- responsibly managing people, data, and ideas.

The Role of Educator: Expanding Academic Horizons

How do leaders in online and professional continuing education work within the values, mission, and constraints of the modern university to expand the academic portfolio and reach of their institutions? This course focuses on how leaders identify and explore opportunities in the context of, and through collaboration with, those throughout their universities. Unlike other academic leaders, the leader in online and professional continuing education is often less independent and shares educational programs and faculty with other schools within their universities -- so key partnerships are internal.  The leader in online and professional continuing education educates and enlists colleagues on future possibilities.

The Role of Ambassador: Connecting Academic and Real Worlds by Engaging Those in Business, Community, and Government

How do leaders in online and professional continuing education engage those beyond their institutions -- in corporations, government, professional associations, and community -- as partners and stakeholders? This course explores the range of models for external partnerships as ways of exploring and securing new opportunities and markets. Unlike other academic leaders, the leader in online and professional continuing education engages a wide array of industries and sectors in a variety of ways.

The Role of Innovator: Managing An Adaptive, Agile Organization

How do online and professional continuing educators create and sustain a vibrant organization, with talented and motivated staff, working in unison towards common goals? This course will focus on organizing a dynamic workforce -- since no leaders can be successful apart from their team. This course will explore resource management in the context of ongoing innovation.

The Responsible Professional: Managing Through Transparency, Integrity, Quality, and Accountability

How do online and professional continuing educators pursue excellence and success? This course explores the ethical challenges, and often difficult choices, that emerge in balancing competing objectives.