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Drury Unveils New Graduate Degrees and Certificates in Leadership

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Drury University’s College of Graduate Studies is launching a series of new degrees and certificate programs that have been crafted to be relevant to today’s workforce, with the common thread of preparing students to be leaders in any field they choose to pursue.

Dr. Regina Waters, associate provost of adult, online, and graduate education, spearheaded the creation of not only the new programs, but also a new format that will provide great flexibility for people seeking post-secondary education. Drury is leaning into the concept of training leaders for today’s world through graduate education. The new programs build on the complement of existing Drury University graduate degrees.

A standout among the new offerings is the Master in Integrative Leadership, which allows people to craft the master’s degree that makes the most sense for them by using graduate certificates as building blocks. Students can choose to pursue a particular certificate or earn the full master’s degree. “Today’s emerging leaders have grown up with the world at their fingertips,” says Waters. “They may not want a full degree but instead a credential or a particular body of knowledge so they can be their best at the job they have or so that they can set themselves up for a move in their career or even to a different field altogether.”

Starting this fall, Drury will offer six certificate programs, most of which are nested within full master’s programs but can be attained individually:

• Business Ventures Leadership
• Cybersecurity Leadership
• Data Leadership
• Instructional Technology Leadership
• Nonprofit Leadership
• Public Service and Safety Leadership

“Think of this as a modular master’s degree,” says Waters. Students can choose from any two of the certificate programs, then mix and match them to customize their own master’s degree. Each certificate program is 12 hours. Two additional connector courses totaling six hours will help students take what they’ve learned and connect it to their professional field. “The connector courses will help students think deeply about how to merge and connect the two disciplines to answer critical questions and solve problems.”

Once students earn a certificate, it goes onto their transcript and resumé. With a traditional master’s program, one must complete 30 or more credit hours before being able to officially claim anything toward the degree. “The possible certificate combinations are interesting and exciting,” says Waters. “We think this is what today’s learners want as it makes them incredibly versatile as leaders and decision-makers.”

Two areas identified of particular interest to today’s leaders are data leadership and public service and safety leadership.

“More than ever, people in many different careers and disciplines are finding that they are having to make data-driven decisions. The data leadership certificate is designed for those leaders who know their particular area but want to feel stronger about using data to make strategic plans for their business.”

Another unique upcoming offering is the Public Service and Safety Leadership Degree. Waters conducted extensive research with professionals in emergency management, emergency medical services, fire services, homeland security, and public administration. “The message in these conversations was clear – there is a definite need for a leadership degree that fosters integrative, collaborative thinking,” says Waters. “Drury is meeting this need by launching a distinctive and robust program that is led by highly credentialed professionals and educators.”

Also coming in fall 2020 is a new graduate Dyslexia Certificate offered by the School of Education and Child Development.

“We are confident these programs will meet the needs of emerging and established leaders,” says Waters. “We've worked hard to develop and vet these programs. The new programs are available online, so Drury has the potential to serve students locally, regionally, and nationally. These degrees will not only benefit students, but the communities in which they live and work.”

The new certificate and degree programs will launch online in the fall 2020 semester.

Drury University
Street Address: 
900 North Benton Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802
Phone: 417.873.7879
Web Address: www.drury.edu
Top Executives: 
President: Dr. J. Timothy Cloyd
Chair of the Board of Trustees: Rita Baron
Year Founded: 1873
Number of Employees: 425
Product or Service: Higher Education

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