Continuing Education Expands with New Non-Credit Certificates
Valparaiso University Graduate School and Continuing Education has partnered with Dalton Education to offer new non-credit certificates in financial planning and paralegal studies.
Those interested in furthering their education in financial planning can earn a Master’s Certificate in Financial Planning or an Online Executive Certificate in Financial Planning. The Master’s Certificate can be completed in nine months, and the program has convenient start dates in February, May, and September. The Online Executive Certificate can also be completed in six to nine months and offers continuous enrollment for students. Those wanting to become certified as a financial planner must have a baccalaureate degree, although undergraduate students may enroll in the program in anticipation of earning their bachelor’s degree.
Option packages for either financial planning programs include textbooks and review sessions for the Certified Financial Planning exam. Students can expect to devote two hours per class, two nights per week, and classes for the Online Executive Certificate are online and synchronous. The Master’s Certificate program is online and asynchronous. Courses in both programs include fundamentals of financial planning and insurance, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and financial plan presentation course.
Valpo will also offer a six-course Online Executive Certificate in Paralegal Studies, designed to prepare students to join the legal profession in as little as six months. Paralegals are valuable members of any legal team, and the paralegal profession is expected to grow by 28 percent over the next decade.
The self-paced, online Paralegal Studies program offers unique benefits such as practical application and placement services, and students will also create a practicum portfolio to present to prospective employers during job interviews. Students will develop valuable skills, including interviewing clients, investigating the facts of cases, writing legal memos and other documents, and assisting attorneys in court proceedings.
To learn more about these and other programs offered by the Graduate School and Continuing Education, visit valpo.edu/grad or call 219.464.5313. Special rates are available for Valpo students.
About Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University is a comprehensive independent Lutheran university with more than 4,000 students on its campus located in Northwest Indiana, an hour from Chicago. Valpo is a community of purpose-driven, service-minded and ethical individuals who embrace the pursuit of truth with freedom, humility and compassion. Valpo has been identified as one of the top master’s-level institutions in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report magazine for the past 22 years. Valparaiso University offers 110 undergraduate academic programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering and Nursing. Valpo also has a distinguished honors college, a School of Law and more than 40 degree and certificate programs in its Graduate School and Continuing Education Division. Valpo has been recognized for its commitment to outstanding teaching, preparing thoughtful leaders with strong cross-cultural skills and global awareness, and dedication to serving others.
