All About Career Schools

Susan Aaron, The Learning Coach

Ever wonder about those schools that advertise on daytime TV? Can you compare traditional American colleges to schools that say they will prepare you for a career in just a few months? As it turns out, you can. Francis Giglio, director of Enhancement for the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), the accrediting body for many of these schools, offers some insights into the nature of these institutions.

The Career School Niche

Career institutions are similar to traditional colleges and community colleges in some ways, yet have a niche all their own. The ACICS works with "independent, nonpublic career schools, colleges and organizations." That means none of these institutions are overseen by a state's board of governors or enjoy state tax funding. According to Giglio, "the majority of these schools are for-profit. Some are publicly traded, some are privately held, and a few of them are nonprofit."

The key qualifier for a career school is its mission -- preparing students for specific careers. The education offered is very practical. Most of the majors offered are skill-focused, such as accounting, information technology and drafting. Success is defined by placement of students in jobs after graduation, and the track record those students establish in their jobs. Like community colleges, career institutions are bly linked to local interests. Part of the criteria for ACICS accreditation is that schools work with local businesses to create their curriculum, notes Giglio.

Many programs at career institutions are two-year or associate's degrees. There are also bachelor's and even master's degrees available. Among ACICS accredited institutions, Giglio says career schools follow the "same credit requirements and requirements of faculty members" as an academic college or university.

Look for Accreditation

Career schools are accredited just like nonprofit colleges and universities, and the ACICS is approved by the US Department of Education (DOE). According to Giglio, "There's a tremendous amount of federal funding (for education) and accreditation is a way the Department of Education can have oversight of educational quality."

Schools not accredited by a DOE-approved agency may have a license to operate, but their students may not benefit from Federal financial aid money.

Other reasons for accreditation include:

• Fulfilling company requirements for educational reimbursement.
• Transferring credits from other institutions.
• Helping employers rate the value of an applicant's or employee's education.
• Qualifying graduates for licensing/certification exams.

Why Choose a Career School?

• Career-Oriented Mission: If the education you need is to prepare you for a career, these schools may be the right place for you.
• Focused Education: Career institutions provide a very practical education. Working closely with businesses to fulfill local needs, these institutions can help you find a job in your immediate geographic area.
• School and business networking opportunities: Career institutions often provide an intimate atmosphere. "I think the things that attract students are smaller classrooms, real-life training and more accessibility to people," says Giglio. "Most of these institutions are housed in one building. You are in contact with the people who run the school every day."

Finding a Career School

Career schools are growing. Giglio notes that in 1996, there were 280,000 students in ACICS-accredited schools, and in 2000, there were 365,000. To learn more, follow these steps to research schools and their reputations:

• Start by locating the institutions in your area that provide an education in your field of interest.
• Check to see if these schools are accredited, and if the accreditation information is up to date.
• Visit the school and ask questions. Inquire about business contacts in the community and past graduates' placement rates. Ask for contact information for past graduates and ask them about their experiences.
• Use the ACICS Web site to search for ACICS accredited schools by area or interest.

Have a great day and God bless!

Advance Your Career with an Advanced Degree?

John Rossheim

It seems like all the pieces are in place for the next giant leap in your career: Your friend told you his sister went back to school for a professional degree and, a week after graduating, landed a job with a $10,000 salary increase. So you know a degree would boost your pay. You know from your college experience five years or three decades ago that you're comfortable living on a student's diet of rice and beans. You've got a couple of blank grad school applications on your dining room table, so why not fill them out and take the plunge?

Before you quit your job or your job search to pursue an MBA or other advanced degree, you owe it to yourself to think more deeply about this major fork in the road of work and life. Here are some major checkpoints for your go/no-go decision on graduate school.

Why Do You Want to Go Back to School?

Begin your deliberations with the basics. "One of the most important factors is, where is this going to get you?" says Jane Finkle, a Philadelphia career counselor. Finkle recommends that you thoroughly research the employment opportunities for graduates of the program you're considering.

Are you looking for advancement in your current field, or do you want to change careers? Either can be a good reason to get a graduate degree if you've thought things through.

Erin Doland is clear that career change is her prime motivator. "The more I sat behind a desk all day, the more I realized changing employers wasn't going to make me happy," says Doland, who quit her job as communications director for a nonprofit to pursue a master's degree in education at Johns Hopkins University.

Whatever you do, don't let outdated preconceptions prevent you from considering grad school. "People may get to a lull in their careers and think, 'I'm too old to make a career change,' but they're not," says Peter Syverson, vice president for research at the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, DC.

What Will a Graduate or Professional Degree Do for You?

A cautionary tale: A high tech worker who asked not to be named was laid off from her job at a Burlington, Massachusetts, maker of medical devices. When she was studying for an MBA in healthcare administration at Canyon College, an online school based in Caldwell, Idaho, she was asked what job titles the new degree would qualify her for. Her response? "I'm not completely sure. As I read the paper, I see titles that are all new to me: billing manager, client and third-party resource delegate..."

Unlike this MBA student, be sure of the jobs your graduate degree will qualify you for, and how many graduates of the programs you're considering actually land those jobs. Also find out about those graduates' salary levels.

Ask admissions representatives for survey results from the program's recent graduates. Sit in on classes, and pick the brains of students enrolled in the program. Don't just listen to the marketing pitch of a student handpicked by the admissions office to sell you on the program, Finkle advises.

Your ultimate reality check: Ask potential future employers how they would value a particular degree from the programs you're looking into. Is the degree a requirement or preference for your target positions, or is it irrelevant?

How Will You Pay the Tuition -- and Live Without the Salary?

Suppose you've established all the right reasons for getting a graduate degree. Now the question is, can you afford -- or avoid -- the common triple whammy of lost income, tuition fees and then student loan payments?

Doland, who earned her bachelor's degree in 1998, says "it makes sense" for her and her husband to live like college students for two years. Since she hasn't been out of college that long, downshifting her lifestyle is easier for her than it might be for a mid-career worker accustomed to a second home and eating out five nights a week.

If you can't stomach the comedown, see if you can get a head start on your graduate coursework by keeping your job, taking classes part-time and getting your employer to pay the tuition.

Have a great day and God bless!