When it comes to providing impactful educational opportunities for service members, veterans and military family members, Syracuse University consistently ranks among the top schools in the country. A key component to that success is the ongoing innovation at the College of Professional Studies (CPS) in adapting to the needs of military-connected students wherever they are in the world.
CPS was integral to Syracuse University being named among the top private schools for online bachelor’s degree programs for veterans, and that same commitment to military-connected students extends to graduates of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF).
“Supporting military-connected students and their families is part of Syracuse University’s mission,” says Liz Green, executive director of online student success at CPS who also serves as 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. “We are committed to providing accessible pathways for military students to complete an online degree or certificate, and our team of instructors and advisors is trained and equipped to assist in any way we can.”
CPS offers an IVMF Alumni Tuition Incentive for graduates of IVMF programs, which grants military-connected students who are IVMF alumni a tuition incentive, bringing their cost down to $350 per credit hour for online undergraduate certificate programs.
The College of Professional Studies offers a market-sensitive portfolio of credit-bearing certificates, including:
- Creative Leadership
- Cybersecurity Administration
- eSports Gaming
- Full Stack Development
- Knowledge Management
- Project Management
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the project management career field is expected to grow up to six percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for other occupations, with more than 65,000 openings for project management specialists projected annually over the decade.
The D’Aniello Institute currently offers a no-cost career pathway for eligible participants to earn either their Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, saving the service member or veteran up to $3,000 in training and certification expenses on average.
CPS has now gone a step beyond, making IVMF’s CAPM and PMP certifications even more beneficial to establishing a flourishing career after military service. IVMF alumni and certificate holders who want to continue their education in project management can apply their IVMF coursework to pursuing a bachelor’s of professional studies degree in project management, or an undergraduate certificate in project management.
“Our support of veterans and military-connected students includes recognizing and acknowledging the value of their non-credit work, training and experiences. The rigor and objectives of the PMP and CAPM courses align tightly with the market-sensitive curriculum in our project management programs,” says College of Professional Studies Dean Michael Frasciello, an Air Force veteran and avid supporter of Syracuse University’s military-connected initiatives.
One of those initiatives includes adapting to the digital world of certifications and badges for professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Digital badges not only highlight a prospective employee’s official certifications and skills, but also establish a level of authenticity and easy validation for the potential employer.
Established through blockchain technology, badges allow hiring managers and employers a quick and easy way to verify that job candidates possess the required skills for specific jobs. Digital badges vary in importance depending on the industry, specific certification and even the individual’s career goals.
IVMF alumni from the Onward to Opportunity (O2O) program were among the first program graduates to receive digital badges after completing their coursework and examinations, an effort that began in January. IVMF is currently retroactively issuing badges to all cohorts who graduated in 2023.
The badges are issued through the online company Accredible, which, after they are received through email can be displayed on the user’s LinkedIn profile or shared through their professional networks. So far, more than 8,000 badges have been issued to IVMF alumni through Accredible. As CPS and IVMF alumni services continue to explore where digital badges are a right fit, future participants will likely see an even broader use of this new availability in the labor market.
For more information on Syracuse University’s available programs and services for military-connected students through the College of Professional Studies, please visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu. For those interested in learning more about available career training certifications available through the IVMF, please visit Onward to Opportunity.
