Jesuit higher education in the 21st century seeks one common goal: to embody the Creator’s love for humankind through self‐improvement and service to others. With its spiritual foundation, its insistence on excellence, and its capacity for adaptation, contemporary Jesuit education is committed to the student as well as to service to the community at large.
Following the original directive of Saint Ignatius, the founder of Jesuit education, to “meet people where they are,” the College of Professional and Continuing Education extends the commitments and resources of the University beyond traditional academic boundaries. Working with a diverse population of nontraditional students, the College provides flexible access to courses, while maintaining academic rigor. Offering full or part-time schedules, day and evening courses, accelerated and full semester classes, online or on-campus delivery allows adult learners the ability to choose a degree program that best fits their interests as well as their busy lives.
Mission Statement
The College of Professional and Continuing Education provides a values-centered education for its students in an atmosphere of concern for the individual, participates in the Catholic and Jesuit mission of Creighton, and extends the commitments and resources of the University beyond traditional academic boundaries.
Outcomes
The goals of the College of Professional and Continuing Education provide the framework for each student’s educational experience and for the assessment of student learning outcomes of CPCE programs.
At the completion of their program, graduates will:
- demonstrate disciplinary competence with a global perspective in service to others;
- demonstrate critical thinking, analytical and imaginative problem-solving in their field of study;
- demonstrate ethical decision making, service, and civic responsibility in accordance with the Judeo-Christian tradition and Ignatian values;
- respectfully and effectively communicate information through multiple modes of expression;
- demonstrate deliberative reflection for lifelong personal and professional formation; and
- demonstrate an ability to work effectively and in solidarity across the distinctions of human diversity.
The College of Professional and Continuing Education awards two bachelor's degrees.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Science (BS)
The minimum age for admission to the College of Professional and Continuing Education is normally 23 years. However, students under the age of 23 pursuing an undergraduate degree who do not meet the definition of a "traditional" college student may also be be eligible for admission through the College of Professional and Continuing Education. Student characteristics may include, but are not limited to:
- having dependents,
- being employed full time,
- being financially independent,
- attending part time.
Majors
Students may pursue any major area of study in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Heider College of Business, or the College of Professional and Continuing Education.
Online Program
The following program is offered in a fully online or hybrid format. Courses in this program are offered in 8-week terms:
- Leadership (B.S.). Students may choose to combine online courses with on-campus courses offered during the day.
Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's Degree Programs
- B.S., Leadership/MBA - The accelerated MBA degree for students in the B.S. in Leadership program will allow students to begin earning credit toward the MBA degree during their final semesters in the B.S. program.
- B.S., Leadership/M.S. Organizational Leadership - The accelerated M.S. Organizational Leadership degree for students in the B.S. in Leadership program will allow students to begin earning credit towards the M.S. degree during their final semesters in the B.S. degree program.
Bachelor's Degree Requirements
Degree-seeking students enrolled through the College of Professional and Continuing Education are required to complete TSC 200 Strategies for Academic Success: Making the Transition to College. Students who have successfully completed RSP Culture of Collegiate Life and inter-college transfer to CPCE are not required to complete this requirement.
Students must meet the following requirements:
- a minimum of 128 credit hours, including at least 48 credit hours in courses numbered 300 or above
- a minimum of 48 credit hours must be completed at Creighton University, with 32 of the final 48 completed in residence at Creighton
- an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00, based on all courses at Creighton University
- completion of all applicable requirements of the Magis Common Core Curriculum
- completion of all major requirements, with at least a 2.00 GPA in the minimum requirements of the major
Magis Common Core Curriculum
The Magis Core Curriculum applies to students matriculating as an undergraduate degree-seeking student, Fall 2014 and after. The Magis University Common Core Curriculum is organized into four levels, with various Components in each level. Each College may designate additional College Core Components. Students must complete the designated number of credits in each Common Core and College Core categories using approved courses. LIst of approved Magis Core courses.
| Foundations | Explorations | Integrations | Designated Courses (1 course each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Composition (3 credits) | Understanding Natural Science (2 credits) | Intersections (3 credits) | Designated Ethics |
| Critical Issues in Human Inquiry (3 credits) | Understanding Social Science (3 credits) | Designated Oral Communications | |
| Oral Communication (1 credit) | Global Perspectives in History (3 credits) | Designated Written Communication | |
| Mathematical Reasoning (2 credits) | Literature (3 credits) | Designated Statistical Reasoning | |
| Philosophical Ideas (3 credits) | Ethics (3 credits) | Designated Technology | |
| The Christian Tradition (3 credits) | The Biblical Tradition (3 credits) |
College of Professional and Continuing Education Courses
Courses that students take come from any of the undergraduate colleges - see each college and department's section in the catalog. Following are courses designated specifically for College of Professional and Continuing Education students:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CPS 170 | Privilege, Power and Difference | 3 |
| CPS 400 | What Really Matters:Discernment, Conscience, Compassion | 3 |
| TSC 200 | Strategies for Academic Success: Making the Transition to College | 3 |
Majors
Students may pursue any major area of study in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Heider College of Business, or the College of Professional and Continuing Education.
Post-Baccalaureate Undergraduate Certificate Program:
Program and Objectives
Creighton University’s Post-Baccalaureate Program is designed to aid disadvantaged students in their preparation and admission to dental or medical school. The Program is comprised of three parts. The first is an 8-week Summer Diagnostic Session in which students are involved in academic pretesting and curricular review sessions. Next, in the Academic Year Program, students participate in intensive coursework in the sciences, mathematics, and English. Finally in the Pre-matriculation Summer Session, students attend dental school preview courses. Throughout the Program, students are provided academic and psychosocial support, clinical experiences, and mentoring in order to assure successful completion of the Program and admittance to the Creighton University School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, another dental or medical school, or an other health sciences program.
Prerequisites for Admission
Prior to admission to the Post-Baccalaureate Program, each applicant must have fulfilled all pre-dental science or pre-medical science requirements and have completed an undergraduate degree or higher from a regionally accredited United States college or university. Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree and must not have been previously accepted to a dental or medical school. However, applicants must have been previously denied admission to dental or medical school. An eligible applicant must be a U. S. citizen, non-citizen national, or foreign national who possesses a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States.
Goal
The goal of the Post-Baccalaureate Program is to strengthen the academic and test-taking skills of disadvantaged students in order to enhance their competitiveness for application to dental or medical school.
Pre-Dental Post-baccalaureate Pre-Professional Studies
Pre-Medical Post-baccalaureate Pre-Professional Studies
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Degree Programs
- B.S., Leadership/MBA - The accelerated MBA degree for students in the B.S. in Leadership program will allow students to begin earning credit toward the MBA degree during their final semesters in the B.S. program.
- B.S., Leadership/M.S. Organizational Leadership - The accelerated M.S. Organizational Leadership degree for students in the B.S. in Leadership program will allow students to begin earning credit towards the M.S. degree during their final semesters in the B.S. degree program.