Personalized Pathways in Higher Education

Personalized Pathways in Higher Education

BY VIRGINIA GOULD

CONSUMERS ARE ACCUSTOMED to personalized experiences through tailored interactions with e-commerce platforms and streaming sources. Forward-thinking institutions of higher education are responding to the expectation of personalization by providing students with customization options for their academic pathways.

Each student enters their academic program with a specific set of goals, life circumstances, and experiences that may include prior coursework or proficiencies gained on the job. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce’s 2018 report, Balancing Work and Learning, close to 70% of all college students work while earning their degrees. This means they have professional obligations to fulfill while advancing their education.

Institutions can work with students to meet this challenge. Personalized academic pathways help students accomplish goals on time and within budget while balancing their personal and professional commitments. Ideally, a student’s pathway will also leverage their prior college credits and work experience to shorten the path to graduation.

When developed with skill and care, a student’s pathway can track their coursework closely to specific career interests and can incorporate multiple academic credentials to increase the student’s return on education investment.

Here is a round-up of personalization features students may consider.

Minors, Concentrations and Certificates: The foundational coursework of many degree programs sets the stage for a deeper study of selected topic areas and the development of targeted skill sets. Offering a variety of concentrations, minors or certificates allows students to align their learning with their needs and goals, or any gaps in their professional experience. As a result, their time, energy, and resources are used solely on coursework that is relevant to their journey.

Innovative Program Design: Universities are finding new ways for students to personalize their degree programs. One example is Wilmington University’s online M.S. in Professional Studies, which builds upon a 15-credit foundation of leadership and communication courses and a three-credit thesis, internship, or capstone project. The student can then fulfill the remaining 18 credits by transferring up to 12 previously earned graduate-level credits; by completing a 15- or 18-credit graduate certificate or concentration of their choice; or by working with faculty to design a learning plan from a list of approved courses.

Stackable Credentials: Students can earn connected credentials, such as degrees, certificates, and micro-credentials that stack upon each other to create their own academic pathway. Through Wilmington University’s Dual-Credit ADVANTAGE™ feature, students can use elective courses in their degree programs to earn related certificates—without extra time or tuition costs—by applying course credits to more than one academic program.

Comprehensive Advising: Academic plans involve many factors including schedules, formats, and proper course sequencing. Expert advisement from the institution is critical to the plan’s—and the student’s—success. Features such as guided pathway programs that incorporate academic milestones and progress checks can help students stay on track for graduation. 

Virginia Gould is a marketing content specialist for Wilmington University.