Office of the Dean

Message from Dean Jamelle Wilson

Welcome to the School of Professional and Continuing Studies!

Since 1962, when then President George Modlin and founding Dean Martin Schotzberger envisioned a place which would meet the lifelong learning needs of working professionals, we’ve been writing the story of regular people. For some, it is a story of professional triumph; for others, it is a story of personal fulfillment; and for still others, it is a story of educational empowerment. Regardless of which chapter you read, the theme of the SPCS story has remained constant — we are deeply committed to providing courses and events that enrich lives and careers.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the pages of our website. Embedded in these pages is irrefutable evidence that the vision of President Modlin and Dean Schotzberger has been kept alive by its leaders — notably through the dynamic 21-year tenure of the School’s most recent Dean Emeritus, Jim Narduzzi — more than 50 years later. Here you will find stories of success and challenge, stories of our graduates who have realized the benefit of coursework taken through SPCS, stories of our current students who are engaged with high quality faculty who are scholar-practitioners, and stories which are yet to be written.

Perhaps the next story is yours.

Whether you want to complete your undergraduate degree, gain an additional certification, enhance your personal knowledge base or seek an advanced degree, at SPCS you will find a program and the support to meet your needs. Our School’s offerings represent four categories:

  1. Degree programs — At SPCS, we offer bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs in Data Analytics, Interdisciplinary Studies (Online), Liberal Arts, Education and Teacher Licensure, Information Systems, Nonprofit Studies, Paralegal Studies and Human Resource Management. Our degree students are fully integrated into the UR campus — both online and in person — and all of its academic, co-curricular and extracurricular offerings.
  2. Professional education & lifelong learning programs — These programs offer courses for professional development and education, along with personal development in a wide range of interests. Programs in this area continue to grow and include Brewing Education, Political Campaign Management, GIS certificate, Permaculture certification, language instruction, college and career preparation and many more.
  3. Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning — Osher is designed for adults aged “50 and better” who are interested in being part of a community that combines intellectual stimulation and civic engagement. This program includes an extensive array of courses in the liberal arts which are a combination of undergraduate credit courses for audit, special interest mini-courses, and free lectures.
  4. University of Richmond Summer School — Serving everyone from college-bound teens to full time undergraduate students to adult learners and working professionals. Through the Summer School, SPCS degree students can enhance their educational experience by participating in summer study abroad programs designed for the unique needs of non-traditional students.

The School’s centers and institutes are embedded throughout the School’s programs and extend the University’s reach into the Richmond community in areas that include arts integration into the K12 curriculum (Partners in the Arts), nonprofit leadership and management (Institute on Philanthropy), and school leadership (Center for Leadership in Education).

As you explore our website, we hope you will envision your story as part of the larger one being written by SPCS.

Regards,
Signature
Jamelle S. Wilson, Ed.D.
Dean