Continue your education through extended programs

Want to continue your education? Earn an advanced degree? Sharpen your job skills? Then check out the opportunities available through Extended Programs at Northern Marianas College.

Degree Programs – Extended Programs offers many CNMI residents opportunities to further their education without needing to leave home. Baccalaureate and graduate degree studies year-round through agreements with other U.S. colleges and universities. Classes are held on evenings and weekends, to accommodate the schedules of Saipan’s busy working community. If you’ve ever wondered why the campus is so busy when most other schools are closed, just stop by the classrooms. Some of the folks so hard at work are Extended Programs students. They could be your neighbors!

Accounting is a primary emphasis in the Bachelor of Business Administration program.. This University of Guam program was initiated in 1998. Students take NMC courses to fulfill 100- and 200-level General Education Requirements and certain Foundation Course Requirements, then take University of Guam courses which are taught on the NMC campus. New students are welcomed into the program throughout the year. Over 20 individuals are currently enrolled in four UOG courses here at the campus this fall. An additional 50 students are studying in the lower-division courses in preparation for the upper division program of study.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Program was developed to meet the expressed desire of both the Public School System and numerous individual counselors to permit those employed in this vital career field to attain a professional degree. University of Guam graduate faculty conduct classes on the NMC campus during Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions. Also begun in 1998, the Counseling Program is entering its third and final year. Degrees will be awarded in Spring 2001 in Commencement ceremonies to be conducted on Saipan.

The newest University of Guam degree program is the Master of Education in Administration and Supervision. Courses are delivered both in-classroom on Saipan and via the Internet. Students include teachers and administrators aspiring to earn credentials for public, private, or post-secondary school leadership positions. Degrees are expected to be awarded in Spring 2002.

Planning activities also are underway with regard to future Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and in Public Administration degrees and for the offering of a Certificate in Paralegal Studies. Community surveys will be distributed soon to determine interest in a Master of Business Administration, an additional graduate degree in education, and other fields.

Specialized Training Programs – Extended Programs also works closely with external training and education centers in the delivery of programs to meet the special needs of groups both within and outside of the Commonwealth. Planning and development of such programs currently is underway with respect to occupational safety and health programs, in conjunction with OSHA Region IX; Conversational English and cultural studies programs for international students in the region; and gaming operations and management education for the Tinian community.

For more information, or to share your ideas on training needs, call Melody Actouka, Director of Extended Programs, at 234-5498 ext. 1810, or visit our web site at www.nmcnet.edu.