Columbia University School of Continuing Education Renamed School of Professional Studies

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Evelina Freeman, [email protected], 212 854-0258

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Nov. 12, 2015) — Columbia University announced today that its School of Continuing Education has been renamed the School of Professional Studies to reflect a targeted focus on professional degree offerings, market-specific academic programming, and cross-disciplinary scholarly research.

“This School, one of the premier destinations in the world for innovative professional education, has been evolving for several years now to better meet the needs of professionals grappling with the challenges of a transformed global marketplace,” said University President Lee C. Bollinger, “and the change in name is emblematic of this shift. We look forward to seeing the next chapter of the School of Professional Studies under the leadership of our new Dean, Jason Wingard.”

Columbia’s School of Professional Studies currently offers fourteen masters degrees, a comprehensive portfolio of pre-professional, post baccalaureate, and life-long learning programs, and interdisciplinary research centers.

Related: Professional Development: Dean Jason Wingard's Plan for Lifelong Learners

“The name reflects our renewed mission to provide rigorous educational offerings, informed by rapidly evolving global market needs, that support the academic and professional demands of individuals and organizations worldwide,” said Jason Wingard, Dean and Professor of the School of Professional Studies.

By offering market-leading degree programs across disciplines, such as, Actuarial Science, Applied Analytics, Bioethics, Sports Management, and Sustainability Management, the School is uniquely positioned to meet the diverse professional education needs of top recent graduates, successful mid-career professionals, and accomplished executives. The mixed methodological approach applied by the School enables students to enter burgeoning fields, advance existing career trajectories, or pivot to new domains of expertise. At the foundation of these efforts is an active research agenda that informs both field best practices, as well as inquiry at the intersection of academic disciplines.

“The School no longer focuses solely on regional, non-degree offerings, as indicated by the denotation ‘Continuing Education,'” stated Dean Wingard. By generating interdisciplinary thought leadership, developing innovative pedagogy, and advancing globally competitive academic solutions, we are preparing the global workforce of the 21st century, across sectors and industries, for the ever-shifting and urgent requirements of the knowledge economy.”

About Columbia University
Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.