November 14, 2002
Applicants choose programs leading quickly to jobs
This year’s applicants for UW Educational Outreach (UWEO) certificates seem to be favoring professional, short-term programs that allow them to find work quickly, possibly because of the continuing weak economy in the Puget Sound.
According to figures collected by UWEO market researchers, eight of the top ten most popular certificate programs offered this fall are in fields that could quickly lead to a job — topics such as Paralegal Studies, Commercial Real Estate, Database Management, and Technical Writing and Editing.
Certificate programs are nine- to 12-month evening programs that offer practical education or training in a specific subject. They are designed and taught by UW faculty and industry experts. UWEO offers more than a hundred credit and noncredit certificate programs in topics in business, information technology, sciences and the humanities.
Some certificate programs saw remarkable growth in the number of applications. Database Management, for example, had more than double the number of applications compared to last year, from 32 to 65. The program was the fifth most popular program in terms of applications. Construction Management also jumped from sixth place last year to second this fall, with 45 percent more applications.
The certificate in Project Management remained on top with 155 applications.
Though it’s hard to tell why students are behaving this way, administrators at UWEO said it is likely the result of the slow economy in the Seattle area.
“Some of these programs are directly translatable into employment,” said Muriel Dance, senior director of academic programs at UWEO. “Just general skills, that is, are not what people are looking for.”
The Paralegal Studies program, for example, drew 33 percent more applications than last year, raising its rank from 10th place last year to third this year. The program is one of the oldest in the UW Extension portfolio, and it has a reputation as a solid program that can get people employed in law firms.
Another big surprise was the high demand for the certificate in Geographic Information Systems. The program was in 34th place last year, but it moved to 10th place this year, drawing 42 percent more applications.
John Stephens, program manager for the certificate, said the program is drawing interest from lots of government agencies and private companies. He said many organizations are realizing the usefulness of mapping software that bundles together all sorts of information about a place, allowing them to make better decisions about services and marketing.
“GIS is something that is used at all levels of government. That’s where it all started, in terms of demand,” Stephens said.
Some of the new programs offered this fall did very well. The new certificate in Private Investigations drew 35 applications, ranking at 24th place. Clinical Trials drew 41 applicants, making it the 12th most popular program this fall.
Shaun Bennett, program manager for the Clinical Trials program, said the demand reflects the strength of the biotech and medical industries in the Puget Sound.
“Seattle has a tremendous number of clinical trials going on,” Bennett said. “There’s a nexus between medical care, research and invention, right here in the area.”
David Szatmary, vice provost at UWEO, said the new application totals also reflect the perception out there of what industries are going to be in demand in the near future.
“The two trends I see are a steady increase in biotechnology and law related programs,” Szatmary said. He expects to see more interest in programs like Private Investigation, Paralegal Studies, or continued demand for programs with wide industry appeals, such as Project Management.
One expected change in this year’s list of top programs was the drop in applications for programming languages and Internet programs. Java 2, for example, was the third most popular program last year, but dropped to 54th this year.
But other information-technology specialties did very well, such as Game Development (17th), and Database Management (5th place, up from 30th last year). The changes suggest that students are moving away from specialties associated with the Internet and the dot.com bust, and instead are moving to areas with higher growth.
UW Educational Outreach is the UW division that administers continuing education, evening degrees, distance learning and other opportunities for non-traditional students.
For more information on UWEO’s programs, visit: www.outreach.washington.edu
Top ten most popular certificate programs in fall 2002
Program name | Aut01 Apps | Aut02 Apps | % change | Rank in 2001 |
Project Management | 150 | 155 | 3.3% | 1 |
Construction Management | 67 | 97 | 44.8% | 6 |
Paralegal Studies | 55 | 73 | 32.7% | 10 |
Human Resources Management | 68 | 65 | -4.4% | 5 |
Database Management | 32 | 65 | 103.1% | 30 |
Technical Writing and Editing | 61 | 58 | -4.9% | 9 |
Editing | 63 | 53 | -15.9% | 7 |
Writers’ Program Literary Fiction | 53 | 53 | 0.0% | 11 |
Commercial Real Estate | 40 | 52 | 30.0% | 19 |
Geographic Information | 31 | 44 | 41.9% | 34 |
Top ten most popular certificate programs in fall 2001
Program name | Aut01 Apps | Aut02 Apps |
Project Management | 150 | 155 |
Introductory Computer Prog.* | 136 | 29 |
Java 2 Programming | 85 | 22 |
C++ Programming | 73 | 36 |
Human Resources Management | 68 | 65 |
Construction Management | 67 | 97 |
Editing | 63 | 53 |
Embedded Systems | 61 | 38 |
Technical Writing and Editing | 61 | 58 |
Paralegal Studies | 55 | 73 |
*This program offered tuition assistance last fall, which was discontinued in 2002
