The University of Missouri offers a vast array of continuing education programs and services for tomorrow's learners. We are committed to you and your future. MU Extension's continuing education units provide courses, degrees, certificate programs, conferences and seminars, along with other professional development activities tailored to the needs of individual employers and industries of all sizes—and their employees.
Among the services available are management training, event planning, online degrees for professionals, on-site courses and programs, independent study courses, industrial safety instruction and continuing education for professionals in law, public safety, medicine, nursing, veterinary medicine and organized labor.
MU Extension programs and research define the future of education, a future that acknowledges that you should never stop learning!
Center for Distance and Independent Study
The Center for Distance and Independent Study offers flexible learning options at a distance. CDIS serves students worldwide through traditional and online independent study courses in the following areas:
Students can
MU Direct: Continuing and Distance Education
MU Direct offers direct access to the best of the University of
Missouri–Columbia and provides opportunities that meet the
changing needs and lifestyles of today's non-traditional student.
Continuing and distance education programs include degrees, certificates and a range of individual courses and series of courses, both noncredit and for credit. Programs are available in a variety of formats, including the traditional classroom setting, online “virtual classrooms” and interactive television.
The University's schools and colleges offer nearly 30 online degree options through MU Direct. From education and nursing to journalism and health administration, students from across Missouri and all over the world are earning Mizzou degrees.
The Missouri Training Institute in the College of Business works to improve staff skills and enhance the performance of public and private organizations throughout the state. The institute provides organizational and professional development assistance to business, industry, government and educational organizations, as well as developing competency-based performance systems, creating learning opportunities and designing professional development programs specifically tailored to improving your staff's performance.
Services and products include
Fire Rescue and Training Institute
The MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute is the citizen's source for unbiased, research-based information on the latest technology and techniques in the fields of fire and emergency services. The institute offers continuing professional education for more than 25,000 career and volunteer firefighters who serve with nearly 1,000 local fire departments and fire protection districts, as well as allied emergency service personnel and private-sector and institutional emergency brigade members.
Through an extensive system of outreach activities, the institute assists fire departments, fire protection districts, volunteer fire associations and private-sector fire brigades in meeting complex public protection challenges. In addition, training is available to help private industry learn the basic concepts of preparing for the inevitable disaster and building contingency plans.
Outreach initiatives take training programs directly into communities throughout the state and provide educational opportunities that are otherwise unavailable.
Law Enforcement Training Institute
The Law Enforcement Training Institute provides state-of-the-art training and education to both law enforcement practitioners as well as civilian professionals. This effort encompasses the entire criminal justice spectrum, from the “traditional” law enforcement professional to employees who serve in other areas of government such as prosecutors' offices, court services, correctional institutions, probation and parole agencies, and those in the administrative and regulatory fields.
The institute is a national leader in providing the training and education that establish the foundation for the profession of law enforcement.
The Labor Education Program provides educational services for organized labor leaders and members as it works to:
The Office of Continuing Medical Education serves the educational needs of rural primary-care physicians who are not adequately met by private-sector training providers. Programs and seminars enable medical professionals to remain current in their chosen fields while meeting requirements for state licensure. Continuing education programs in specialty medicine, mental health and allied health, as well as the cooperative extension health education effort, also are important areas of activity.
The Missouri Telehealth Network provides opportunities for innovative distance-learning programs. Many School of Medicine departments broadcast weekly grand rounds to telemedicine sites around the state. These live, interactive conferences are fully accredited.
Nursing Outreach and Distance Education
With a 48 year history and recognition as an approved provider of nursing continuing education through the Missouri Nurses Association, Nursing Outreach assumes a leadership role in providing high quality and affordable lifelong learning opportunities for Missouri's registered nurses regardless of specialty, practice setting, academic preparation, or geographic locale. Increasing numbers of non-nursing health care providers and out-of-state participants are attending Nursing Outreach activities as we engage in more cross-disciplinary and collaborative educational activities.
The office responds to nurses' needs for continuous professional development activities at all levels, coordinating short-term professional development conferences, seminars and workshops.
Veterinary Medical Extension and Continuing Education
Through educational programs that build partnership among livestock producers, companion animal owners, veterinarians, extension specialists, university faculty and the public, Veterinary Medical Extension and Continuing Education strives to:
With more than 38 years of experience, the MU Conference Office is a full-service, one-stop event-planning office for educational events ranging in size from five to 5,000 attendees anywhere in the world. The office transforms event planning into a fine art, having created a unique and effective planning system. From initial service needs assessment to event follow-up to every other logistical detail in between, the team can provide the assistance you need to create your most successful event without undue burden on you and your staff.
Event assistance is available in
Mizzou's continuing education programs continue to explore ways to bring the research-based expertise of MU's schools and colleges to your community. For example, the School of Health Professions is developing programs to address the needs of physical and occupational therapy professionals throughout Missouri. To meet the needs of other professionals, the Center for Economic Education continues to offer a summer workshop for Missouri teachers in business and economics-related areas, and the College of Engineering provides programs for practicing engineers. Acknowledging that learning should never end, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at MU is exploring ways to take noncredit courses for the 50-plus population from the mid-Missouri area to the rest of the state. With these and other developing continuing education programs, MU continues to pursue its goal of providing Missourians with greater access to their land-grant university.
Updated 2/6/09
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