In just four years, enrollment for Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies has more than quadrupled, growing to nearly 2,500 students.
What’s been the catalyst for that growth? Meeting students where they are.
SLU recognizes that a single approach doesn’t work for everyone, especially when it comes to adult education. The School for Professional Studies was designed with working adults and adult learners in mind, giving them access to a world-class education on their terms and at their pace.
“There’s something happening here that people want to be a part of,” says Scott Duellman, Ph.D., dean of the School for Professional Studies. “We are hyper-focused on providing students with unparalleled academic support and the flexibility in courses to meet the needs of working professionals.”
For more than 60 years, the School for Professional Studies has been offering students dynamic yet flexible, skills-based programs. The school is tailored to those seeking career growth and personal fulfillment, with courses offered for undergraduate, graduate, and skills-based certificate programs.
“Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies has been there longer than I’ve been alive, and they’ve been there for people like me,” says Keith Willis, a 2002 graduate of the school. After dropping out of school at age 19, following a horrible accident, Willis decided to go back to school to open opportunities for his family. He graduated with a bachelor’s in Organizational Studies at age 46.
“The folks at Saint Louis University and the entire team, from the dean on down, understood me because most of them were adult learners, so they had more empathy with us as adult learners,” Willis says. “They still had an expectation and a standard that we had to meet, but they understood what we were going through.”
Six accelerated eight-week terms are available each year, which means that students can work toward a degree or certificate at a quicker pace compared to traditional semester-long classes. Students are able to earn up to 30 credits per year and take one or more courses per term to complete their program even faster.
Students are also able to select their start date based on their schedules, with courses beginning in January, May, or August. Some programs also offer a March, June, and October start date, meaning students have the flexibility to increase their earning potential, be promoted in their field, or change careers when the time is right for them.
Classes are available 100 percent online, so students are able to earn a highly respected, transformative education—all at their convenience and pace.
Tina Curtis, a 2022 graduate with a General Studies bachelor’s degree, says it was online learning that attracted her to the program and, ultimately, led to her success. Since earning her degree, she’s received a bump in her salary and has been promoted to supervisor.
“Online learning has given us working adults—the nontraditional student—a chance to complete our degrees,” she says. “Because we can set our own schedules, we can take care of our families, and we can still do something for ourselves.
“I felt extremely supported at Saint Louis University,” Curtis adds. “The professors were always there for me. I wasn’t just a number to them; I was Tina Curtis, and they were going to help me… They were excited for me and about my life. That’s the kind of support you get at the School for Professional Studies.”
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies. To learn more, visit www.slu.edu/professional-studies/.
