Balancing college with a full-time job can be tough. The Program for Adult College Education (PACE) can help. PACE programs offer curricula designed for working adults and can be found in colleges and universities around the country.
The PACE Student
PACE programs are great for anyone who wants to get a college education, but can't find the time to go full-time. "It's perfect for any working student," said Reginald Bassa, director of PACE at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Eighty-one percent of PACE students are over 24 years old and 94 percent of them work more than 30 hours a week.
An Unstructured Structure
The organization and administration of the PACE programs differ from college to college, but in all programs you spend less time in the classroom than you would normally spend in a traditional program. You attend classes once during the week, have seminars on the weekend and work on an independent study.
The weekend conferences occur once every three to four weeks and complement what is taught in the classroom with guest speakers, films, experiential activities and concerts. "The weekend seminar courses also allow students to get more involved in discussion," Bassa said.
The independent studies include research projects, instructional television and educational videotapes. Recently, many programs have been moving toward using the Internet for the independent segment.
A Different Kind of Curriculum
Most PACE programs are built around a humanities-based curriculum. Each semester is set up in blocks of classes, and each block is arranged around a central theme. For example, at UMKC, you can take one semester with the theme of "Commercial Economics" that includes classes in the social sciences, economics and accounting.
Many students like this interdisciplinary grouping of classes because it brings everything they're learning together, demonstrates how it fits into a bigger picture and shows how their education fits into the "real world."
With PACE, you join a learning community because you're grouped with the same small cluster of students throughout the entire program. Working in a community, you develop a valuable support network.
After PACE
Bassa also notes that PACE's general curriculum serves students well after they graduate. "Many employers are looking for people with a broad education that extends outside of a particular major."
A PACE degree is recognized as an appropriate degree for many professional and graduate programs. Approximately 40 percent of UMKC's PACE graduates continue their education in these types of programs. "We frequently have students go on to medical, law and business schools," Bassa said.
More and more colleges are starting to develop programs like PACE for the growing nontraditional student population. Check with your college to see if they offer a PACE program.
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