Heather RichardYou’d think after almost five years of university, you would have a pretty good idea of what your faculty has to offer.
Since entering the Faculty of Arts in 2010, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of what your escalating tuition will get you. Gone are the days of receiving your syllabus in paper the first day of class — printing that many syllabi no longer fits the budget. Got a question for your English professor outside of class? You won’t be able to just phone them for a quick answer. More budget cuts mean they lost those office landlines ages ago. Can’t wait to enrol in that cool 400-level class about sex and pop culture? Dream on, you young, open-minded free spirit. That was cut too.
Budget woes and tuition increases have ultimately fallen on students’ shoulders, and we’ve been left with fewer course options and a rapidly declining quality of education as a result. How those professors keep up with their expanding class sizes, diminished resources and unpredictable teaching contracts is beyond me. But the University of Alberta does still offer something that could really tailor your general undergraduate academic experience to something a little more focused and useful once you get out in the “real world.”
Numerous U of A faculties offer certificate programs that result in a boosted transcript and enhanced credentials that could help you when you enter the workforce. Of course, there’s no guarantee one of these certificates will get you a job post-graduation. But the Faculty of Arts alone offers 11 certificates, including European Studies, Finance, Globalization and Governance, and Translation Studies that can be earned while you complete your degree.
Never heard of this before? Apparently not many students have. When our Staff Reporter decided to look into this transcript-boosting option, the resounding response around our office filled with students in their third or fourth year was “what’s a certificate?” The Gateway spoke with Faculty of Arts Associate Dean (Student Programs) Stuart Landon this week, and he told us only 10 per cent of arts students go on to get a certificate when they graduate. Only 10 per cent, even though it doesn’t cost any more to get one of these certificates, and many don’t require any specific prerequisites outside of the classes required for the certificate.
The catch is that students have to take seven classes focused towards fulfilling the requirements of the certificate they choose, therefore limiting their elective options. But for students interested in pursuing specific career paths after graduation, a certificate in Community Service Learning or Computer Game Development could offer a much-needed boost to their CV — again, at no extra cost to the student. It doesn’t even cost the university much to run this program, Landon said.
In a competitive job market, you need to graduate with a resume loaded with extracurricular participation or internships for an added edge above your post-graduate competition. But landing a resume-boosting job while in school isn’t the best option for everyone, and some students produce their best work in the classroom. For others, aiming towards attaining a certificate alongside their degree can align their academic experience a little more closely with their personal interests, or offer a little extra motivation to finish their degree.
But these opportunities are wasted if students don’t know about the certificate program early on. I’ve never had anyone come to the front of my class and tell us about the certificates offered through the U of A. I’ve never seen this option mentioned on a syllabus. Nor have I ever had an academic advisor mention it during the half a dozen times I’ve sat in their offices, breaking a sweat over whether or not I’m missing any prerequisites to graduate.
The only reason why only 10 per cent of arts students graduate with a certificate is because the other 90 per cent don’t even know this opportunity exists. As we head into another year of predictable tuition increases and cost-cutting measures, the certificate program is a great way for students to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth out of their academic experience, and maybe offer a little extra edge in the job market. Hopefully it doesn’t get axed any time soon.
