Clarisa Kless
The Mount’s Frederick campus is celebrating its 25th anniversary. On October 1,1999, the Frederick Campus opened so that everyone including working and older students had the opportunity to get their college education and finish their degree, while simultaneously balancing their complicated work and home schedules. It opened to cater to the needs of the adult learners at Frederick Community College.
This is called the Continuing Studies program and for the past 25 years it has enriched many lives. On that first day, they had their very first class of 22 students. On December 1, 2000, the first student graduated from the Mount’s Frederick campus with an accelerated undergraduate business degree. Over the years, they have launched many program offerings.
It’s also for those who don’t have the time to be full- time students. The program is very flexible, with online and in-person classes in 8-week sessions. Just this fall, Mount Online was launched for those who need accelerated undergraduate programs in fully online formats. Plus, they offer a 20% discount for graduates of community colleges in Maryland. Also, in the spring of 2023 a military discount was introduced for active-duty students. Most students just take one or two classes at a time. It is a great program because it shows it is never too late or too busy to get things done and finish school. It is also beneficial for anyone who wants to change their career pathway, advance their career or re-enter the workforce.
When asked about how the program has grown over the years, Associate Provost of the Division of Continuing Studies, Jennifer Staiger said, “Over the last 25 years, the Division of Continuing Studies has grown substantially both in the number of programs we offer, and the number of students enrolled in our programs.” In the 2023-24 academic year, 86 students earned bachelor's degrees and 197 earned master's degrees from the program at the Frederick campus.
The majors offered include communications, history, business, human services, interdisciplinary studies and elementary education. There are also graduate programs that run the gamut from biotechnology, business administration, education, sport management, philosophical studies and more.
The newest add-on to the Division of Continuing Studies is the Center for Lifelong Learning. Here they offer a wide variety of courses that are all non-credit, and many lead to professional certifications. Working professionals can take them or just undergraduate students who are looking to get certifications as well as their undergraduate degree. Congrats to the program and the Frederick campus on this milestone and hopefully they will have many more successful years.
Mount
Comments