St. Thomas University Launches Center for Professional & Continuing Studies

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Nov 25, 2024, 08:31 ET

STU announces six new certificates, customized corporate training & Bruce Ozga as director

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Thomas University on Monday announced the recent creation of the Center for Professional and Continuing Studies, six new certificate programs, and the hiring of decorated academic administrator Bruce Ozga as the Center's director.

STU is now offering five new 12-credit, eight-week $1,245 programs in an asynchronous online format, including the:

St. Thomas University is announcing the creation of the Center for Professional and Continuing Studies, six new certificate programs, and the hiring of decorated academic administrator Bruce Ozga as the Center's director. Ozga most recently served as vice president of culinary education at Helms College in Augusta and Macon, Ga. Previously, he spent nearly 24 years with Johnson & Wales University, where he rose to dean of culinary education and oversaw the university's Miami and Denver campuses.

Applied Artificial Intelligence Certificate, which teaches AI principles and applications, AI ethics, project management and strategic planning.
Homeland Security and Terrorism Control Certificate, which examines terrorism structures, politics, investigations, prosecutions and victims.
Criminal Justice Certificate, which covers the criminal justice and corrections systems' mechanics, criminal rehabilitation and the psychology of crime victims.
Digital Instruction Online Certificate, which chronicles new instructional technology trends and integrating technology into curriculum, assessments and evaluations.

Additionally, STU's new 15-credit, Culinary Arts Certificate includes courses in managing food and beverage offerings and cooking fundamentals. Each course of the Culinary Arts Certificate's five courses costs $999.

STU also plans to launch new certificates in Nursing Leadership, Community Nursing, Grant Writing, and Culinary Medicine in January and culinary camps for children in the summer. The university's continuing education curriculum already includes customizable corporate training.

Corporate training topics include Business, Ethical Leadership, Law, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Financial Literacy, Nursing, Culinary Arts, Beverages, Hospitality, Education, Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, Sports Administration, Media and Technology.

Affordable, flexible learning opportunities

STU's host of new continuing education programs range from a few hours to half- and full-semester classes, with new credit and non-credit programs available in remote and hybrid (online and on-campus) formats.

Developed and taught by STU's award-winning faculty, the university's continuing education program offers unrivaled affordability, with per-credit costs of $415, prices from $75 to $2,000, 25% off for seniors, and a steep military veteran discount.

Nationwide, interest has soared in continuing education. Students earned 670,665 non-degree certificates in the 2022-23 academic year, a 4% rise from 645,599 a year earlier, and a whopping 32% increase compared with 507,388 in 2013-14, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

"Corporations, employees and prospective workers are increasingly seeing the value of certificates for hiring marketability, promotions, skill building, networking, staying on top of technological and industry trends, and personal growth," Ozga said.

More employers than ever are paying for employees' education. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans estimated in 2019 that 50% of employers currently pay for workers to earn certificates, 63% fund employees' college tuition for degrees, and 35% cover personal development courses.

Decorated administrator joins STU

STU's six new certificate programs join the university's five existing continuing education programs, including one in Spiritual Companionship and four post-master's degree certificates (Advanced Placement Family Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Placement Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner).

Ozga, the Center for Professional and Continuing Studies' new director, most recently served as vice president of culinary education at Helms College in Augusta and Macon, Ga. Previously, he spent nearly 24 years with Johnson & Wales University, where he rose to dean of culinary education and oversaw the university's Miami and Denver campuses from 1997 to 2021.

Ozga holds an associate degree in culinary arts and a bachelor's in food service management from Johnson & Wales, plus a master's in education from Colorado State University. Over the years, he has won several awards, including the Greater Miami American Culinary Federation's Educator of the Year and Chef of the Year honors.

About St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (STU) is a private, non-profit Catholic institution committed to the academic and professional success of its students who become ethical leaders in our global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is the only Catholic, Archdiocesan university in Florida. On our beautiful campus and online, the university's College of Health Sciences & Technology, Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offer 61 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs. In 2020, STU launched our Limitless five-year strategic plan, based on the pillars of limitless Devotion, limitless Opportunities, and limitless Results. The plan was conceived to provide students with a magical collegiate experience that incorporates mentoring faculty, character formation activities outside the classroom, and required real-world experience before graduation.

Contact: Dan Axelrod | St. Thomas University | [email protected] | 305.474.2418

SOURCE St. Thomas University