As the region's only public research university, UM-St. Louis serves students who are in many ways nontraditional in their demographic make-up, their approach to higher education, and their educational needs. Meeting the needs of these nontraditional students while extending the expertise of the university to the community is the mission of Continuing Education and Outreach.
Through Continuing Education and Outreach, the university's schools, colleges and centers administer a wide variety of credit courses, noncredit programs, and problem-oriented research for the benefit of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area and beyond. Programs are offered both on and off campus. Research, generally of an applied, urban-related nature, is designed to solve specific problems of client groups.
Arts and Sciences
Continuing Education and Outreach in the College of Arts and Sciences includes credit courses and noncredit programs from the college's departmental disciplines, including courses and workshops in the archaeology, microcomputers, writing, languages, history, and social and physical sciences. Interdisciplinary teaching and research programs deal with such fields as social work, the humanities, women's studies, and economics.
The Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Education provides programs and curriculum consultations to local teachers and schools internationally.
The Microcomputer Program develops and teaches applied computer courses and offers the Chancellor's Certificate on the Computer, along with other certificate programs.
The Advanced Credit Program provides an enrichment experience for university-bound secondary students by providing freshman-level courses for credit in selected high schools.
The Gateway Writing Project offers credit and noncredit programs on writing improvement for classroom teachers.
Business Administration
Continuing Education noncredit programs through the College of Business Administration are offered in several areas, including organizational and management development and individual professional growth. Several certificate programs are offered.
Education
The overall aim of the College of Education 's outreach activities is to provide services that bring about better teaching and learning situations in educational settings. The programs and courses help students complete Missouri teacher certification requirements as well as provide work either toward advanced degrees or for in-service professional growth. Programs can be customized to meet the particular needs of organizations.
Fine Arts and Communication
The College of Fine Arts and Communication offers a variety of Continuing Education and Outreach activities to the community. Four endowed professorships are focused on community outreach in the arts. The award-winning E. Desmond Lee Music Education Collaborative, and other collaborative activities undertaken by the College in conjunction with arts organizations in the greater St. Louis area, all contribute to the college mission.
A range of credit and noncredit fine arts outreach programs are offered in partnership with the Saint Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Muny.
Graduate School and Public Policy Administration
The Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program offers comprehensive education and training for professional staff, board members, and other leaders of nonprofit and voluntary organizations, as well as students and others wishing to explore a future in the field. The program offers noncredit seminars and credit courses leading to undergraduate and graduate certificates.
Nursing
The College of Nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis offers a variety of programs for Registered Nurses. Currently, the college offers the RN/BSN option at St. Charles Community College and at various sites in the Barnes-Jewish Health Care System. The MSN/FNP program is offered at St. Charles Community College and at Mineral Area College.
Optometry
The University of Missouri-St. Louis offers diagnostic and therapeutic Continuing Education and Outreach programs for optometrists through the UM-St. Louis College of Optometry.
Outreach Sites
Continuing Education and Outreach offers selected graduate and undergraduate credit courses at UM-St. Louis Lindbergh, a satellite center located at Lindbergh High School in south St. Louis County. Continuing Education and Outreach also offers credit courses at other metropolitan sites, including St. Charles Community College, Mineral Area College, Jefferson College, and the South County Education and University Center.
In-house Training
Specialized research and technical assistance and in-house training programs are available to local businesses and organizations. With the help of expert faculty and staff consultants, the University is equipped to deliver specialized training on an in-house basis.
J.C. Penney Conference Center
This large conference facility at UM-St. Louis houses a 435-seat auditorium, as well as six large conference rooms, designed to provide an excellent academic environment and maximum convenience for course participants. A complete conference staff provides administrative support for seminars and conferences, as well as coordination for special hosted programs each year.